The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will enter the NFL Draft knowing that Todd Bowles has to get more out of his pass rush in 2026.
Hasson Reddick was supposed to be the player last season that helped the Buccaneers get after the quarterback, but he didn’t become the player the franchise had envisioned.
Now, with the draft fast approaching, the Buccaneers, who pick at No. 15, have some defensive players in mind.
But who? For CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli, he has the Bucs executing a huge trade with the Washington Commanders to move up to No. 7 and taking Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr.
“Now the phones begin ringing,” Fornelli wrote. “Washington could take Bain here, but with only two top-100 picks and only six overall, the Commanders move down to acquire more. Meanwhile, the Bucs move up to get the pass rusher they desire in Bain.”
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Bucs make huge move for Bain
Slotting Bain into the Buccaneers’ defensive line would give Bowles a genuine pass rush monster on the edge.
We know that the Buccaneers, at times, last season, struggled to get after the quarterback, and having Bain, one would think that will surely help things.
The offense is set for the most part, so it makes sense for Tampa to go defense in the first round, but the cost of moving up from No. 15 to No. 7 would be huge, and I don’t know if the Buccaneers would want to part with that sort of draft capital.
But if they do, and take Bain, they just got a genuine game-wrecker for Bowles’ defense.