Buccaneers Bucky Irving Snubbed in Top 25 Under 25 List Despite Breakout Season

After finishing last in the league in rushing offense the previous year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ draft of Bucky Irving made sense, given their need to bolster a run game that had severely limited their offense.

Despite this need, the Bucs didn’t overhaul their backfield, instead sticking with Rachaad White as their lead running back and adding Bucky Irving, a fourth-round pick from Oregon.

Irving initially seemed destined for a special teams role, handling returns and potentially some situational offense, but he quickly proved to be more versatile, defying a single definition.

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Irving continued to impress, ultimately earning the top running back job and holding onto it, and he delivered with a strong season, rushing for 1,122 yards, scoring eight touchdowns, and averaging 5.4 yards per carry.

Despite being the standout running back in his draft class last season, Irving was surprisingly overlooked on PFF’s Top 25 Players Under 25 list, with Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and De’Von Achane ranking ahead of him.

While Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are undeniably deserving of recognition as elite players, De’Von Achane’s inclusion is more debatable.

While Achane has shone in his two seasons with the Miami Dolphins, he hasn’t yet reached 1,000 rushing yards. Although sharing carries with other backs might be a factor, it’s worth noting that Bucky Irving faced similar circumstances but still managed to emerge as his team’s lead back.

Irving’s impact on the Buccaneers was transformative, turning a league-worst rushing unit into a top-10 group in just one season, which might warrant more recognition when evaluating young players with similar potential.

The omission won’t matter to Irving and the Buccaneers, who are accustomed to being overlooked in national comparisons. Their focus will be on maintaining the high level of performance that earned Irving recognition last season as they head into 2025.