The Tampa Bay Buccaneers top sleeper pick: Bucky Irving, RB, Oregon

Doug Farrar
| Staff Writer

Only the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey had more snaps last season than Rachaad White’s 337 among running backs in the NFL, and that includes McCaffrey’s snaps through the Super Bowl. So. it was important for general manager Jason Licht and his staff to get White more rotation help, and the Bucs got a good one in Oregon, behind Bucky Irving with the 125th pick in the fourth round.

Last season, the 6-foot-4, 192-pound Irving ran the ball 186 times, gaining 1,192 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns. Irving may be small, but he’s not small: he forced 69 missed tackles last season, and that was as much about power as it was elusiveness. He also had 18 runs of more than 15 yards for 470 yards. Additionally, Irving caught 55 passes on 61 targets for 395 yards and two touchdowns, so he can be used in many different ways.

“We thought he might go a little bit early,” Buccaneers director of player personnel Mike Biehl said of Irving. “He’s a guy we brought in for a ‘Top 30’ visit and spent some time with him. We thought he might get picked on the second day, but he drops back to the third day. I think we even talked to him, when Jason called him, he had a bit of a chip on his shoulder because he thought he should have gone sooner. He’s just a good character guy who we focused on.

Oregon RB Bucky Irving may have dropped in the draft because of size concerns and a 4.55 40, but he's faster than that on the field, especially from cuts to a straight line. Broke 69 tackles and had 18 runs of 15+ yards last season. Nice rotational guy for the @Buccaneers. pic.twitter.com/svpMXyMcKM

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) May 2, 2024

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