Jason Licht Talks Rueben Bain Early Impact
June 12th, 2026
The architect of the Buccaneers has strong opinions of his first-round draft pick.
Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht talked about Miami Mauler edge rusher Rueben Bain during a chat yesterday with JP Peterson of FanStreamSports.com.
Licht has been very impressed.
“Rueben has been as advertised,” Licht said of Bain, who widely was projected as a top-10 draft pick.
“He’s very powerful. You don’t really see all that without pads, just very athletic. The thing that stands out the most in this setting is just his professional approach, his will to be the best and his work ethic and all that. And it’s always great when your first pick has those qualities because it tends to bleed into your entire class.”
Licht added that second-round pick linebacker Josiah Trotter is right there with Bain when it comes to football drive, professionalism and intelligence. He also said those qualities run down the 2026 draft poll.
Yes, the front office always says it adores its draft class. But this year feels a little different, probably because Bain is a very different kind of prospect.
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