Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images The Bucs found Rachaad White’s complement in the 4th round. The Buccaneers sought out an upgrade at RB2 and think they’ve found it via Oregon’s Bucky Irving with No. 125 of the fourth round. Rachaad White will be the undisputed bell cow for Tampa after his 2023 breakout, but he definitely needed some more reliable backup after iffy play from guys like Chase Edmonds and Sean Tucker. Can Bucky provide that needed change of pace for the Bucs? Let’s examine. Bucky Irving Career Stats Irving, a former 4-star recruit, consistently produced in two seasons for the Ducks and one for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Despite not starting any of the 12 games he played in his freshman year at Minnesota, he still led the team in all-purpose yards (772 yards, 4 TDs). After transferring to Oregon in 2022, he took center stage. His sophomore season saw him carry the ball 156 times for 1,058 yards and 5 touchdowns and record 31 catches for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns. He even threw a TD pass as well! Last season went even better with 186 carries, 1,180 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, as well as 56 receptions for 413 yards and 2 scores. His receptions led all of FBS, and he earned second-team All-PAC-12. The Bucs have selected Bucky Irving with their fourth-round pick (No. 125 overall). He's had stellar production in between the tackles with 896 rushing yards between the tackles in 2023, averaging 7.1 yards per rush. His 56 receptions also led all FBS running backs in 2023.— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) April 27, 2024 In 26 total starts, he averaged 6.2 yards per carry and 8.3 yards per receptions — very healthy numbers which speak to his versatility. Athletic Testing Irving is a classic case of a professional running back trapped in an inferior athlete’s body. Irving maximizes what the good Lord gave him, but ultimately he’s smaller (5-foot-9, 195 pounds) and not very electric (4.55 40-yard dash, 2.67 20-yard). Bucky Irving is a RB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial 2.28 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1348 out of 1745 RB from 1987 to 2024.Splits projectedhttps://t.co/a4wZ0FPNTy pic.twitter.com/iYSMovUGv9— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 2, 2024 The RAS is going to scare people, but it’s worth noting that being a superior athlete is not as important as running back as it is other positions. Per MockDraftable, Irving’s spiderweb has a lot of similarity to some players with recent success in the league, like Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Warren, Los Angeles Rams’ Kyren Williams, and noted Falcons enemy Devonta Freeman.
https://www.mockdraftable.com/embed/buc ... OMPARISONS
Is his ceiling capped? Probably, but it’s not a death knell for his future success like it would be for other positions. What Type of Player Is Bucky Irving? Here’s the biggest takeaway from Irving’s tape: he understands how to play the running back position. New Bucs RB Bucky Irving has got Alvin Kamara like contact balance pic.twitter.com/s1S9RcGalQ— Steven Cheah (@StevenCheah) April 27, 2024 He’s not explosive but he’s very shifty with quick feet and smooth body control. He sports some good bulk and runs with a low center of gravity, outstanding contact balance for his size, and sets up defenders with subtle shakes or savvy moves. That all adds up to him forcing the second-most missed tackles (136!) in the Power 5 over the last two years. He’s just massively frustrating to get down on the turf, and he doesn’t fumble (one in more than 500 touches) and rarely runs for negative plays. As most of you likely remember, that was a massive issue last year for anyone not named Rachaad White, and that’s also considering he was one of the league’s best at avoiding negative plays. The Bucs now roster two players like that. 9 minutes on new Bucs RB Bucky Irvinghttps://t.co/nSDS2DPNKM
The tape is magical. He's super decisive. The broken and forced missed tackle rates are crazy.
The question is - will it translate for a 5'9/192 lbs RB with below-average athleticism? pic.twitter.com/5x04VOHuJ1— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) April 27, 2024 He displays consistently good field vision and decision-making, which allows him to quickly process and string together moves to maximize outputs. On top of it all, he’s arguably the draft’s most dynamic receiving back. He utilizes soft hands and understands how to both run designed routes adequately and simply serve as a QB’s safety valve. He even has some kick return experience with Oregon (22.6 yards per return on 14 returns). Now he’s not a pile pusher, nor does he have the build to likely be anything more than a complimentary piece. Since he’s a Day 3 selection, that's not a particularly huge deal, but it could mean more future investment at the position to fill the gaps in responsibilities he simply cannot handle at the next level. Conclusion Instead of thunder and lighting, the Bucs went with lightning and even more lightning. Irving’s quickness and wiggle are assets that will allow him succeed beyond what the blocking gives him, but he’s decisive and understands how to execute plays in a zone scheme — which the Bucs will run a lot more of this year. Irving isn’t necessarily what fans were looking for, and the lackluster athleticism will get people groaning, but Jason Licht saw simply a good-ass running back who produced at a Power 5 school and put up impressive tape while doing so. Irving will get snaps early on to prove himself as White’s primary spell, but it will be all up to him to keep Edmonds and any other running back on the pre-season roster off his tail.
https://www.bucsnation.com/2024/4/27/24 ... -nfl-draft
