JACKSONVILLE — Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round draft pick Rueben Bain Jr. suffered an AC sprain during joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars but Head Coach Todd Bowles confirmed the rookie defensive lineman will be ready for the Week One opener against the Bengals on the road.
“He has a sore shoulder that he is dealing with so we kept him out today, but he will be fine,” Bowles said. Bain, a former Miami Hurricane, has won consistently throughout training camp in one-on-one reps, drawing praise for his elite bend, ankle flexion and speed-to-power conversion. He sat out Wednesday’s session at Miller Electric Center as a precaution.
While Bain rested, second-round pick Josiah Trotter seized the spotlight with an interception. In man-to-man coverage against Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten, Trotter stayed in the back’s hip pocket through his release, then plucked the ball out of the air in the end zone. The first-year linebacker is competing for the starting middle linebacker role.
“He’s an instinctive football player,” Bowles said of Trotter. “He’s very smart. He’s not just strong, he’s savvy. He knows how to slip blocks when it’s time to slip blocks, and you can’t teach that.”
Undrafted rookie cornerback Ayden Garnes also recorded an interception Wednesday, undercutting a curl route over the middle of the field to pick off quarterback Nick Mullens. Garnes, who pairs quick feet with 4.39-second speed, is making a strong push for one of the final cornerback spots on Tampa Bay’s roster.
“We knew he was talented, but he’s kind of calmed down,” Bowles said. “Instead of making plays and exchanging one-for-one, he’s playing the right way and he’s doing the little things right. It’s the stuff he does when the ball doesn’t come his way that’s been impressing us.”
The Buccaneers wrap up their joint practice sessions with Jacksonville this week before turning their attention to the final preseason game and roster cuts ahead of the Week One matchup against Cincinnati.