Rueben Bain Jr. pick should end the career of one of his Bucs teammates before he even gets a chance to practice with him
The Buccaneers upped the ante with their pass rush by drafting Rueben Bain Jr. in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, it likely means one of his new Bucs teammates is out the door.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed to add some serious juice to the pass rush and it did just that thanks to Rueben Bain Jr.’s fall to 15.
Now, the Buccaneers have a quick, athletic, and relentless pass rusher to play opposite Yaya Diaby. Bain Jr.’s presence also adds viable depth to the EDGE room and rounds out a solid four-man rotation that includes the aforementioned Diaby, newly-signed Al-Quadin Muhammad, and reliable veteran Anthony Nelson. Second-year player David Walker is also in the mix.
On the flip side, Bain Jr.’s selection likely means the end of Chris Braswell’s time in Tampa Bay and it’s easy to see why.
Rueben Bain Jr.’s selection should open the door to the Bucs trading Chris Braswell
It’s safe to say Braswell has been a major disappointment since the Buccaneers drafted him in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The expectation was that he’d come in and develop over time, but that simply hasn’t happened.
The game is still too fast for Braswell and that’s awfully concerning for a guy not only entering his third year in the league, but he’s played in the same defense for two straight years, now. It’s not like the Buccaneers have changed systems or anything like that. It just simply looks like it’s not working out.
And that’s why the Buccaneers need to trade him, now. It’s still early and teams are willing to bet on his traits with the usual “I can fix him” mentality. If the Buccaneers keep him for 2026 and he fails to show any flashes, well, it’s safe to bet the chance of getting anything in return, next year, will be slim-to-none. Especially when considering it’ll be the last year of Braswell’s rookie deal.
And honestly, if things play out the way they should, Braswell will be EDGE6 on the team. He’s not going to see the field much, anyway, so why not give him an opportunity to carve out a bigger role, elsewhere?
Whether it’s including him in some kind of package, or a pick-for-player swap, it makes way too much sense to go ahead and offload him, now. Sunk cost should not, and does not, need to be a factor in this situation.
Go ahead and cut bait and get something in return. It’s what smart front offices do and the Buccaneers are a smart FO. Therefore, don’t be surprised if this happens before everything ends on Saturday afternoon.
