Bucky Irving was the Bucs‘ fourth-round draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, adding himself to a talented Tampa Bay backfield.
Both Rachaad White and Sean Tucker were poised for meaningful roles, with White coming off a season with 1,539 total yards of offense. Despite that, by the end of the season, Irving, the former Oregon Duck, had earned the starting role and is poised for a major role in the Bucs’ offense in 2025.
Is that enough, though, to expect a top running back season from Irving?
PFF recently considered the idea, comparing his potential alongside Jonathan Taylor’s. For Irving, they laid out several numbers weighing the possibility and made a strong argument for his ability to pull it off.
For his rushing ability, Irving had a 46.8% share of the goal-to-go running back snap share. That number is likely to increase with him bulking up and getting a larger role. His early down usage is also significant with it reaching 47.7%, as well as a carry rate of 42.9% from the 2024 season.
His receiving numbers also look promising with a PFF receiving grade of 90.3, a route participation grade of 36.3%, and a drop rate of only 2.1%.
All of those numbers should have you believing in his ability to secure a top 12 finish among running backs in fantasy football.