Buccaneers GM Jason Licht opens up about big Rueben Bain Jr. concern

Some members of the football community were surprised that Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht was able to select Miami edge-rusher Rueben Bain Jr. with the 15th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

It is assumed that arm-length concerns played a role in clubs that selected pass-rushers (New York Jets, New York Giants) choosing to pass on Bain. During a Thursday appearance on SiriusXM's Mad Dog Sports Radio channel, Licht discussed why he was more than happy to grab Bain on the night of April 23. 

The Buccaneers have a good history of trusting players such as Rueben Bain Jr.

"You know, I’d be lying if I said we didn’t talk about it," Licht said about Bain's arm length, per the JoeBucsFan website. "We never saw [short arms] affect his play. We have a couple of players on our team that have done some really good things for us that also fell into that category [of short arms]. Luke Goedeke, people said he would never be able to play tackle because he has short arms. He’s been doing a helluva job for us at right tackle. We had Calijah Kancey, who had short arms as a defensive lineman and defensive tackle. And he’s a really good pass rusher inside, despite that." 

The Buccaneers rewarded Goedeke for his play by signing him to a four-year, $90M contract extension this past September. While Tampa Bay recently picked up the fifth-year option for 2027 attached to Kancey's contract, Ashlie Abrahams of Buccaneers Wire/USA Today noted that Kancey's history of injuries could keep him from receiving a multiyear extension anytime soon. 

Why Buccaneers aren't worried about Rueben Bain Jr.

Buccaneers edge-rusher YaYa Diaby recently made it known he believes Bain is "hungry" due to sliding to the Buccaneers at pick No. 15. Meanwhile, Licht sounds confident that Bain will be as good as advertised later this fall. 

"I think when you know how to use your hands, when you have fast, violent hands, I think you can overcome it," Licht added while speaking about Bain. 

If Bain does "overcome" the length of his arms, he could prove to be the defensive steal of this year's draft class.