Bucky Irving

There is always doubt when a fourth round rookie over performs, but its hard to think Bucky Irving was a one year fluke. He outperformed Rachaad White to such an extent that White is now viewed as a third down, relieving back only.

Irving performed great as a rookie. He also earned a lot of touches in situations where the defense expected Tampa to throw the ball. 

Both statements can be true. Here's a third statement that's true: GM Jason Licht and the staff believe Sean Tucker has NFL starter talent. There's talk about getting Tucker the ball more often. 

Will that be at Irving's or Rachaad White's expense? Likely White, but Tucker has something that neither Irving nor White possess -- top-drawer speed in the build of a lead back. 

Expect Irving to remain a fantasy starter this year, but don't expect Irving to build on his role. 

He's not a dynamic athlete, but that matters less at the running back position. His shiftiness and elusiveness in space immediately translated to the NFL. He ranked 11th in 10+ yard runs (27), seventh in 15+ yard runs (14), second in PFF's Elusiveness Rating, ninth in Missed Tackles Forced (57), eighth in Yards After Contact (834), and first in Yards After Contact per Attempt (4.03) last season. Irving is a bit smaller at 192 pounds and has two talented teammates in his running back room. Those are the only factors keeping his ranking from being even higher.

Irving was a great story in 2024, but the departure of Liam Coen and expected regression for Tampa Bay make him a bit overvalued in drafts.

His volume didn't pick up until later in the season. His rushing and receiving efficiency stayed elite. Even with Rachaad White and the limited sample, the metrics indicate he'll stay productive.