Rueben Bain Jr. Gets Compared To James Harrison

By the way his coaches gush over him, it sounds like Rueben Bain Jr. is going to be every bit as good as advertised. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were extremely fortunate to have Bain fall to them at pick 15. 

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Tampa OLB Coach Larry Foote has already praised the star rookie for his football IQ and mental preparation, but he didn't stop there. In his short time coaching Bain, Foote is noticing characteristics that remind him of a former teammate with the Pittsburgh Steelers: James Harrison.

Heavy Praise For A Rookie

All first round draft picks come with a certain level of hype, but being compared to such a dominant player like Harrison is heavy praise for any rookie.

“Off the film, if you had to bet — he’s going to be a star,” Foote stated about Bain. “He’s just — the way he plays the game, he’s explosive, plays with great leverage, and it’s hard to block those type of guys. Back in my Pittsburgh days, I played with a guy like that, James Harrison. It was just, you couldn’t block him. And [Bain] has that trait, he has that ability.”

Bain Jr. drawing any comparisons to a potential future Hall of Fame player like Harrison will only increase the excitement and expectations once he steps on the field. If Bain, who is already a co-favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, can even come close to Harrison's level of play, the Bucs' defense will be scary.

Foote Played Next To Harrison

While most of us have only seen highlights of Harrison or watched him on TV, Foote played next to Harrison for the Steelers from 2002-2008. Foote knows more about his former teammate than most: how hard he practiced, how much film he watched, how he never took a snap off, etc.

It's not a comparison that Foote would throw around lightly.

Can Bain Be As Good As Harrison?

Bain came into the 2026 NFL Draft as possibility the best defensive prospect in the class. But can he really be as good as Harrison? Harrison's resume is loaded with accolades. 

Harrison finished his NFL career with 80.5 sacks and was the leader of a Steelers' defense that won two Super Bowls. Harrison's 100-yard pick-six in XLIII remains one of the top plays in NFL history.

"Deebo" also earned five Pro-Bowl selections, was a 2x AP First-Team All-Pro, and was named 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Needless to say, the bar has been set very high for Bain. The early reviews have been glowingly positive, and it is evident that Bain has the talent and work ethic to become one of the premier defenders in the NFL.

If Bain becomes anywhere near the player that Harrison was, he will go down in history as one of the Bucs' all-time greatest players.

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