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Rueben Bain Jr. was selected first overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2026 NFL Draft. He expressed excitement about potentially sacking NFL quarterbacks Cam Ward and Lamar Jackson.
Rueben Bain Jr. joined the rarefied air of first-round NFL Draft picks on Thursday night, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. And as soon as he heard his name called, he was ready to get down to the important business, like which NFL quarterbacks he's ready to sack.
The 6-foot-2, 263-pound edge rusher is quite proficient in the pass rush, racking up 20.5 sacks over his three-season stint with the Miami (FL) Hurricanes, including 9.5 sacks this past season as he started on a defense that helped lead the way to a College Football Playoff (CFP) runner-up finish. And at his post-draft press conference on Thursday, one of the first things he was asked was which signal callers in the league he's most excited to sack.
"It's either Cam [Ward] or Lamar Jackson," he said.
For Ward, in particular, he cited the relationship between the two players. Ward was Miami (FL)'s quarterback in 2024, so the two players shared a locker room for an entire season. And for Lamar Jackson – well, what rookie edge rusher doesn't want the thrill of sacking one of the greatest pure athletes to play quarterback in the league?
Unfortunately for Bain, both Jackson and Ward play on teams in the AFC, and he landed with a franchise in the NFC – so he might not get many opportunities to carry out that goal. But when the Buccaneers do clash with the Ravens and the Titans, if Bain is on the field, watch out. He'll have a little extra motivation to get that sack.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Rueben Bain reveals which NFL QBs he's most excited to sack
Rueben Bain Jr. was selected first overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Rueben Bain Jr. is excited to sack Cam Ward and Lamar Jackson.
Rueben Bain Jr. recorded 20.5 sacks during his three seasons with the Miami Hurricanes, including 9.5 sacks in his final season.

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