If you told Bucs fans a couple of months ago the season would collapse, but they would land Rueben Bain Jr. with the 15th overall pick, they wouldn't believe it was from this planet. Fast forward to tonight, and Bucs fans have a reason to be excited once again about their defense.

With the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Miami (FL) edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. The Hurricane defender stays in the state where he played his entire football life, and it will continue as he heads north to the bay.

Bain played a pivotal part in the Hurricanes' run to the National Championship, where he had 5 sacks, 14 pressures, and 16 tackles in four playoff games. He will bring that same pass-rush success to the Bucs as they look to be able to finally relax and help their secondary by solving a nearly decade-long issue.

Rueben Bain Jr. and his family coordinated their outfits for the NFL draft 🥶 pic.twitter.com/vomJsEpIVL

Bain fell to 15, though, despite being a top prospect in the class overall. It was due to his arm length being the smallest of a projected first-round pick since 2003. He will have every opportunity to prove 14 teams wrong as he is expected to be a day-one starter for the Bucs.

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: NFL Draft: Bucs get a steal in Rueben Bain Jr. with their top pick