Rueben Bain Jr. selected by Buccaneers with 15th pick after a draft fall, weeks after fatal car crash report surfaced

Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. was always thought to be an elite prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft , and a late-breaking story that painted him in a negative light didn’t prevent the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from selecting Bain with the No. 15 overall pick Thursday night.

Bain began the process as a potential top-five pick, but kept falling on Thursday night as other prospects went ahead of him. The Buccaneers, who had a big need at edge rusher, had to be surprised and thrilled to see Bain available when they went on the clock with the 15th pick. Throughout most of the draft process, Bain was considered one of the top prospects on the board and one of the elite pass rushers available.

But reports emerged in mid-April that Bain was involved in a fatal 2024 car crash . Bain was reportedly driving the car when he hit another car and collided with concrete barriers on the freeway. One of the passengers in Bain’s car, 22-year-old Destiny Betts, sustained injuries in the crash and died after spending three months in a coma.

Bain was cited for careless driving immediately following the crash. That citation, however, was dismissed two weeks prior to Betts’ death. Field-sobriety tests were reportedly not performed at the crash scene, per The Read Optional .