It took all of six snaps for Bucs rookie outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. to:

• Confirm he’s a DUDE
• Justify Bucs fans clowning 14 other franchises for passing on him
• Reserve his Bucs Ring of Honor ceremony for September 26th of 2038
• Get fitted for his gold jacket and get a good, advanced rate on a hotel in Canton, Ohio for 2042

Bain played just two drives. The Bucs defense took a quasi-first team Kansas City offense to task with two quick three-and-outs. And Bain made sure the last play he was on the field for would be the one everyone remembered.

What We Saw From A Limited Look At Rueben Bain Jr. In His Bucs Debut

Hustle and Defending the Run

It didn’t matter that the first snap of his career was a wide zone run away from him. Rueben Bain Jr. made sure he was getting into the action. Hustling from one side of the field to the other he jumped on top of the pile after Kenneth Walker’s 3-yard gain. He’d been itching for this moment for months. The extra sled practice that has made the rounds. All of it points to a man who loves the game and wants to be involved as much as he can. That hustle will lead to cleanup sacks, extra tackles, and generally positive outcomes.

The second snap was another run aimed away from him, but Walker cut back across the grain and showed that Bain isn’t perfect. Working as the backside force defender, ideally, he would be able to contain Walker and funnel him back inside. But Walker’s change of direction and speed out leveraged the rookie. Luckily for him, Zyon McCollum has been there before. Harkening back to his own rookie preseason when he also gave up the edge for a big run, McCollum was able to stop Walker for a 1-yard gain. On an otherwise fantastic night, this may end up a coaching point when he reviewed the film today.

Bucs OLB Rueben Bain Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Stunts, Twists and Games

Bain’s third snap showed his versatility and how head coach Todd Bowles will want to use him creatively. It wasn’t just your run-of-the-mill TE (tackle-end) stunt. No, Bain came across three gaps, working past center Creed Humphrey as Bowles used both A’Shawn Robinson AND Calijah Kancey as crashers to get his shiny new toy a one-on-one with left guard Kingsley Suamataia. Bain got caught in Kancey’s wash, slowing his momentum and ultimately killing his opportunity. But you can see the vision. And as the defensive line works more together the timing and spacing of those games should improve.

Pass Coverage

The Miami Hurricanes didn’t ask Bain to drop into coverage often. Across three seasons he had just 21 coverage reps. Bowles got him almost 10% of the way to that total in a single preseason game. But the early results are encouraging. His drops were smooth and he made sure to trade paint with each tight end he was dropping with. He took more than he gave on his first drop. But he made up for it on the next play.

He’s not going to be asked to cover a wheel route from a back (or at least I hope he won’t), but closing early windows on seams to allow exotic pass rush games to unfold away from him is fully on the menu for him.

The Pass Rush

Five reps in and finally Bowles took the Lamborghini out of the garage. Bain threatened outside then used a fantastic blend of strength and speed to throw Khalil Benson to the moon as he made his way to Justin Fields on a hump move.

Yes, Benson isn’t a starting tackle. But there aren’t a whole lot of fellas who can do that even to a backup. If they could we would see it more in the preseason. This should translate. And it’s but one in a whole host of tricks Bain has in his arsenal.

It was just six snaps. But it signaled a lot. Capable run defender with a high motor. Versatile chess piece who can feature in exotic pass rush attacks while also dropping into coverage to change the post-snap picture for quarterbacks. And most importantly, a 1-on-1 pass rush winner. Some players require dozens if not hundreds of snaps to show who they are. Rueben Bain Jr. needed just six snaps.