Rueben Bain Jr. already has tremendous value according to ESPN

Rueben Bain Jr. has yet to play his first NFL snap, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ first-round pick is already being viewed as one of the organization’s most valuable assets.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell placed Bain in the one-first-round-pick tier while estimating the trade value of players throughout the NFL. Only offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka were assigned greater value among Buccaneers players, with both projected to command at least one first-round selection and additional compensation.

One first-round pick: Edge Rueben Bain Jr. He fell further than expected in the first round of this year's draft and doesn't have the long, lanky body type that we might associate with elite edge rushers, but Bain's production at Miami in terms of generating sacks (20) and tackles for loss (33.5) is hard to dismiss. Teams might need to find a hybrid role for him where he rushes from the interior as often as he does from the edge, but that's hardly anything new for great pass rushers in an era when they move to attack and create mismatches more often than ever before.

That is significant recognition for a rookie selected No. 15 overall in April. Bain slipped further than many expected amid questions about his arm length and unconventional build for an NFL edge rusher, but Tampa Bay focused on the production and versatility that made him one of college football’s most disruptive defenders.

Bain recorded 20 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss during three seasons at Miami. Those numbers help explain why Barnwell believes another team would already surrender a first-round pick to acquire him, even before training camp provides the first meaningful look at how his game translates to the professional level.

The Buccaneers may need to use Bain differently than a traditional long, rangy edge defender. His power and interior-rushing ability could allow Tampa Bay to move him across the defensive front, creating favorable matchups against guards and tackles. That type of flexibility has become increasingly valuable as defensive coordinators search for ways to isolate their best pass rushers.

Bain’s placement also highlights Tampa Bay’s need for more young stars. Wirfs remains one of football’s premier tackles, while Egbuka showed substantial promise during his rookie season. Several accomplished veterans, including Baker Mayfield, Vita Vea, and Antoine Winfield Jr., missed Barnwell’s first-round threshold because age, position, and contract status affect trade value.

Bain faces no such limitations. He is young, inexpensive, and under team control for several seasons. If his college production carries into the NFL, his actual value could soon exceed ESPN’s projection.

The Buccaneers drafted Bain to improve their pass rush. Before his first training camp, he was already being recognized as one of the franchise’s most important building blocks.

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Rueben Bain Jr. already has tremendous value according to ESPN