Oregon's Bucky Irving is PFF's No. 4 RB in 2024 NFL Draft
Pro Football Focus recently released their draft ranking for running backs and had Oregon running back Bucky Irving in the top five of their 2024 NFL running back rankings.
Irving is ranked as the fourth-best prospect behind Jonathon Brooks (Texas), former Oregon running back Trey Benson (Florida State), and Blake Corum (Michigan). PFF graded Irving’s junior season with a 90.8 rushing grade, earning him the No. 103 spot on the big board rankings.
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound running back had a career season in his second year with the Ducks. He ran for 1,180 yards, 11 touchdowns and caught 56 passes for 413 yards and two receiving touchdowns.
He played his freshmen season at Minnesota before transferring to Oregon and earning the starting running back job his sophomore season alongside Noah Whittington and Jordan James.
Oregon Ducks running back Bucky Irving celebrates a big play against the Washington State Cougars.
Darby Winter/Ducks Digest
Oregon Ducks running back Bucky Irving celebrates with offensive lineman Steven Jones.
Darby Winter/Ducks Digest
Oregon Ducks running back Bucky Irving scores a touchdown against the Oregon State Beavers.
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest
Irving brought an element to the running game that the Ducks had been missing since CJ Verdell’s first two seasons at Oregon.
But Irving is a different kind of ball carrier than Verdell was.
Irving is the type of running back that can make any play into a touchdown. His uncanny balance allows him to bounce off defenders, stay up when he’s stumbling and break almost any tackle.
He has great vision in the backfield that gives shades of LeSean McCoy, having the ability to read and hit any gap, the patience to wait for a hole to open up and the shiftiness to shake any defender out of their cleats.
Irving also proved this past season that he is a real threat in the passing game as well, showing he can turn a pass out of the backfield into a first down and convert check-down passes into big gains.
He is the perfect prospect for any NFL team in need of a running back as he can get it done on the ground and make plays in the passing game.
James and Whittington are the incumbents in Eugene with Irving's departure. James’ downhill running and speed translated into 7.1 rushing yards per carry and a total of 759 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Whittington also averaged over seven yards per carry before he suffered a season-ending injury against Colorado.
Northwest Missouri State transfer Jay Harris will look to be in the running back rotation alongside James and Whittington after joining the Ducks this offseason. He rushed for 1,433 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in 2023, passing the 100 yard mark in every game last season.
The loss of Irving will mean the loss of the one-two punch the Ducks had in the run game this past season, but as is the story of the off-season, Oregon has reloaded and will feature a three-headed monster of James, Whittington and Harris in 2024.
