ESPN predicts Buccaneers get to rob the NFL of another premier player after stealing Rueben Bain Jr. in Round 1 of the draft
The draft world was shocked when Rueben Bain Jr. fell to the Buccaneers at 15 in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Now, ESPN believes the Bucs are going to get another player that shouldn’t be there when they pick in Round 2.
If someone told you they expected Rueben Bain Jr. to fall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft – they’re either lying or the second coming of Nostradamus.
In all seriousness, the Buccaneers came away with arguably the biggest steal of Round 1. Many believed Bain to go inside the top-10, with some even projecting him to go in the top-5. As one of the draft’s best pass rushers, it made sense. Even with the short arm red flag.
The Bain Jr. selection is a major win for the Buccaneers. Now, ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller has another premier player falling into their laps during Round 2 on Friday.
ESPN predicts Buccaneers will steal Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez at No. 46
Man, it would be a dream scenario if the Buccaneers land both Bain Jr. and Rodriguez with their first two picks in the draft.
Landing Rodriguez at 46 would certainly be considered a steal, as well. Several of the draft’s top pundits have him going much higher than that in their final projections. For instance, our own Ryan Roberts, who is one of the top draft experts in the country, predicted Rodriguez would go as high as Round 1.
Dane Brugler, arguably the best of the best when it comes to the draft, mocked Rodriguez to the Giants at No. 36 in his final mock.
Rodriguez is one of the most productive, if not the most productive, linebackers coming out of this draft. He even finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting last year. Yep you read that right – he was a Hesiman finalist at the off-ball linebacker position.
Rodriguez is athletic, instinctual, and can play both the pass coverage and the run. His biggest knock is his size, but Lavonte David was considered to be on the smaller end and we know how that all worked out.
He would immediately come in and challenge for the starting job opposite Alex Anzalone. Having both those guys on the field would allow Todd Bowles to do things he hasn’t been able to do since he had David and Devin White (before White’s downfall, obviously). Both linebacker positions are absolutely crucial for Bowles’ defense and having these guys could certainly help get it back to top-10 status we saw from 2019-2022.
“Replacing Lavonte David won’t be easy, but Rodriguez is a playmaker. The middle linebacker had seven forced fumbles and four interceptions last season. Oh, and he also can take snaps in the Wildcat formation.”
matt miller
ESPN
Miller also has the Bucs taking Georgia CB Daylen Everette at 77
Everette would be a good pick at 77, as well. Everette has the athletic traits to play corner in the NFL and has the versatility to provide consistent snaps in man and zone coverage.
There are important physical aspects of his game to work on like his footwork, plus mental scenarios when it comes to recognizing route patters (double moves tend to get him, for instance). That’s fine, though, as Everette is good enough to be a solid depth option, right away. He can then work on his develop and if all goes well, push for a starting job down the line.
Both of these picks would equal a very successful Day 2 and an excellent draft, overall. We’ll see if it plays out this way on Friday night.