After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Miami Hurricanes edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. at No. 15 in the 2026 NFL draft, former Iowa football star offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs shared on X his reaction to the franchise’s first-round draft pick.
Wirfs is entering his seventh professional season and has the 2021 Super Bowl title under his belt. He expressed excitement for the Buccaneers’ choice of the dynamic defensive star by posting a GIF of the DC supervillain, Bane, being revealed in the opening scene of the 2012 Batman film “The Dark Knight Rises”.
While the spelling between the iconic supervillain and the new Buccaneers defensive star differs, the reaction from Wirfs suggests the former Hawkeye is more than thrilled to call Bain a teammate for years to come.
As for the value of the draft pick, the immediate reaction from media and fans was overwhelmingly positive, especially given the Buccaneers clearly needed an edge rusher and did not need to trade up to land a premier talent such as Bain
While none of the 10 draft-eligible Hawkeyes were chosen in Thursday night’s first round, there is high optimism that several Iowa players will get their names called sometime during Day 2 (second and third rounds) and Day 3 (rounds four through seven).
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Former Iowa football star reacts to Buccaneers NFL draft pick
Reporting by Scout Springgate, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
