Getty

University of Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr.

History might be repeating itself for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2026 NFL draft, where an elite pass rusher might fall into their laps with the No. 15 overall pick.

In 1995, reports of multiple failed drug tests that he tested positive for cocaine and marijuana leaked the night before the draft sent Miami defensive tackle Warren Sapp tumbling all the way to the Buccaneers at the No. 12 overall pick.

Sapp was 1 of 2 future Pro Football Hall of Famers taken in the 1st round by Tampa Bay in 1995, alongside linebacker Derrick Brooks at No. 28 overall — a duo who would eventually lead the franchise to its 1st Super Bowl win 7 years later.

In 2026, the Miami player in the eye of the storm is defensive lineman Rueben Bain, a once-in-a-generation pass rusher who could change the fortunes of a Buccaneers defense that’s been dead in the water the last few years. Bain’s draft stock has been dropping since news broke on Sunday that he was involved in a fatal car crash in 2024, in which he was cited for careless driving.

“Will Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami) fall all the way to them?” ESPN’s Ben Solak wrote on Thursday. “It’s unlikely, but with a small trade-up, Licht might be able to snag him. Of course, recent reporting from The Read Optional details Bain’s off-field concerns that might impact his positioning on Tampa Bay’s board. And Licht rarely trades up in the first round. Since he became general manager in 2014, he has traded up once — and it was from No. 14 to No. 13.”

Tragic Outcome in 2024 Spring Break Car Crash

The details of the car crash at the heart of the scandal don’t paint Bain in a favorable light.

“Rueben Bain, a projected top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, was involved in a fatal traffic collision in Miami in March 2024, according to records and reports,” The Read Optional’s Oliver Connolly wrote on Sunday. “The incident has not been previously reported. Bain, then a sophomore at the University of Miami, was driving on Interstate 95 in Miami at 4 a.m. on 17 March 2024 when his vehicle struck another car before careering into concrete barriers on both sides of the highway, according to police crash records.  One of four passengers in Bain’s car, Destiny Betts, a 22-year-old college student from Georgia who was visiting Miami for spring break, suffered incapacitating injuries and was rushed to the Ryder Trauma Center from the scene. She never regained consciousness. Betts died on 13 June 2024, after spending almost three months in a coma.”

Several NFL teams said they had been aware of the incident with Bain.

The charge of careless driving was dropped 2 weeks following the crash.

Bain Could Transform Defense for Buccaneers

Bain was the singularly dominant defensive player in college football in 2025 and capped his 3 seasons with the Hurricanes by leading them to the College Football Playoff national championship game.

NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein compared Bain to 2-time Super Bowl champion and NFL All-Pro defensive lineman Brandon Graham, who has played his entire career with the Philadelphia Eagles after they drafted him with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft.

“Note taker, grudge holder and block destructor with a compact frame and defensive tackle play strength,” Zierlein wrote. “Bain is ill-tempered with his take-ons, hitting blockers with heavy hand strikes. He plays through tight ends and can anchor against tackles and double teams.”