Midseason Form
Friday provided a first-look at Buccaneers' first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. at practice and he was as good as advertised, showcasing his bend during drills and quickness off the ball during reps. Bain brings a tough, nasty temperament on the field and it was evident during practice with his urgency. He lined up from both a three- and four-point stance for the Hurricanes as a three-year starter and dislodged blockers at the collegiate level with ease. His lethal bull rush flushed quarterbacks out of the pocket and his ability to attack leverage and awareness at the line of scrimmage anchored the Miami defensive line. Now, he brings that tenacity to Tampa Bay's practice fields.
"He looked like he was in midseason form," said Head Coach Todd Bowles on Bain. "Obviously, he's from Miami, so he's going to be practicing in the heat, where a lot of the other guys are going to struggle adjusting to this weather. It didn't bother him at all. He came in in great shape, and he ran around well and kind of picked up some things very well… "He's got an old soul, so to speak. He understands his lineage, he understands the guys that came before him – they've got a lot of great players down there at the University of Miami as well as the high schools down there as well. He grew up around all of those guys, grew up around [Teddy] Bridgewater, Lavonte [David], [Calijah] Kancey and all of those guys himself. He understands tempo, he understands pace, he understands how to play hard, he understands to pay homage to the guys that come before him that were down there and he tries to pattern his game like that. He's a very smart player, not just a tough player, he understands what he's walking into and what he wants to be."
Injury Update
Both defensive back Keionte Scott and defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart are dealing with wrist injuries. Bowles confirmed Capehart was able to "do some things" during practice on Friday but the training staff is working to get it fully healed. Scott disclosed he had a wrist injury that bothered him during the 2025 campaign and he got the plate taken out of his left hand that was wrapped in a cast. The cast comes off in 10 days and he had the procedure done prior to the combine and is undergoing rehabilitation. He expects to be ready to go full-speed at training camp in July. Scott will start out at nickel and get cross-training work at both safety and corner per Bowles.
Craft Enhancement
As a two-year starter at Georgia State, Ted Hurst primarily lined up as the outside X receiver in their scheme. He combined for 127 catches, 1,965 yards and 15 touchdowns over the course of his junior and senior seasons. Hurst has the speed to push the field vertically and pairs proficient footwork at the top of routes with high-point skills. During his collegiate campaign, 70.9 percent of his catches resulted in either a first down or a touchdown. Hurst will get in work at the X spot in Tampa Bay, as he joins a talented receiving room featuring Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, Chris Godwin and Tez Johnson. Baker Mayfield has another threat to target down the field. Throughout minicamp, Hurst is prioritizing the nuances to his route running to foster success.
"Working on my craft and staying in that playbook," said Hurst. "That X position for sure…Some things that I want to work on is just being detailed and it is a very detailed oriented game and I learned that yesterday just running through routes, you have to be in a specific spot in a specific place and the small things can make you more open."
