Bucky Irving, RB, Oregon
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 195
40-Yard Dash: N/A
10-Yard Split: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Vertical: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Pros
- Experienced pass-catcher out of the backfield.
- Has reps as a pass catcher running quick hitters.
- Relentless effort keeping his legs churning to break tackles for extra yards.
- Have to put a body on him to tackle him.
- Very good start-stop ability with insane acceleration.
- Fairly patient in the backfield.
- Decent vision.
Cons
- Will sometimes get caught trying to do too much for extra yards.
- Sometimes worries about his next move instead of securing the catch first.
- Frame is on the lighter side.
Notes
- Second team All-PAC 12 in 2023.
- First team All-PAC 12 in 2022 by PFF.
- Began career at Minnesota before transferring to Oregon.
- Led Minnesota in all-purpose yards as a true freshman.
- Consensus four-star recruit by recruiting websites.
Overview
Beginning in Minnesota under PJ Fleck, Bucky Irving never looked back after transferring to Eugene. One of the best in the country at breaking tackles, Irving has garnered attention from NFL scouts as he hopes to extend his career to the next level.
On the smaller side of the average NFL RB, most teams will hope to see Bucky add weight throughout the pre-and post-draft processes. While he’s always been successful with his size, teams will want to ensure his stability at the position given how short the average lifespan of NFL RBs are. Another thing about Irving is his occasional worry about what’s coming next. This appears most when he’s on routes out of the backfield as he becomes preoccupied with how he’s going to make the oncoming defender miss instead of securing the catch. Lastly, Irving can sometimes get bottled up when dancing for extra yards. A phenomenal athlete, Irving is capable of wiggling around defenders but gets stymied when tacklers don’t bite at his first few moves.
On the other hand, Irving is gifted with insane start-stop acceleration. This is what gets defenders to miss more often than not, along with his leg drive. Despite being under 200 lbs, Irving is relentless at keeping his legs moving to break tackles or fall for positive yards. Irving is fairly patient out of the backfield and has a vision that’s decent enough should he need to find openings other than what was designed. This serves him well in the passing game as Oregon’s goal was clearly to get him in space. In passing situations, Irving is very experienced on bubble screens, swing routes, and quick hitters from the outside such as curl routes.
Overall, Bucky is one of the top RBs of his class. His size may deter some teams from taking him in the late first, but he should be a day two lock barring any injury from now to draft night.
My Two Cents
Bucky is arguably my favorite back in this year’s class. In my opinion, he’s a true three-down back who just needs more experience pass-blocking. He can do everything else very well, from running in between and outside the tackles, working out of the backfield, and even lining up with wideouts. If I’m a team that doesn’t have many issues elsewhere and desperately needs an RB1, I wouldn’t even mind taking Irving in the late first.
For more football content click here.
