Buccaneers running back corps named among league's best by PFF

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles told reporters that "you can never have enough horses" at the NFL Owners Meeting in West Palm Beach this year, and general manager Jason Licht has certainly applied the practice.

Tampa Bay's skill position players are among the best the league has to offer, and that includes the running back room. The room became electric with the arrival of Bucky Irving, who ran for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns in his rookie year last year. He took over for Rachaad White, who had nine total touchdowns on the year, and both of those players are ahead of running back Sean Tucker, who was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 6 after a performance that saw him put up 14 rushes for 136 yards and a touchdown.

To make a long story short, Tampa Bay's running back room is loaded heading into 2025, and Pro Football Focus made sure to recognize it. PFF ranked every running back corps in the NFL, and they had the Buccaneers clock in at No. 6 overall.

Here's what writer Dalton Wasserman had to say about Tampa Bay's running backs:

"Bucky Irving’s outstanding rookie season boosts the Buccaneers well into the top 10 on this list. He finished fourth among all running backs with a 90.8 PFF overall grade and was the only player in the NFL to record 90.0-plus PFF grades as a rusher and receiver.

Rachaad White’s 73.8 PFF overall grade is evidence that he is more than capable of playing a complementary role. Even third-stringer Sean Tucker got in on the action last season, earning an 80.0 mark and racking up 237 total yards, including kick returns, against New Orleans in Week 6."

The Bucs will head into 2025 with Irving in the starting role, which he only took over from White later in the year. White offers a lot of utiliity as a receiving back and as a pass blocker, however, so Tampa Bay will need to utilize both to have a successful offense. Former Bucs offensive coordinator and current Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen was known for his "pony" package, which featured a 21 personnel look with two running backs — it's unknown whether or not new OC Josh Grizzard plans on implementing that in 2025, but it would be a way to get both playmakers on the field at the same time once again.

Tucker will likely still struggle to get carries behind white and Irving, but he may have more opportunities next year once White becomes a free agent and likely leaves Tampa Bay. It's a good problem to have regardless, though, and the Bucs will try their best to utilize all three in an effort to win the NFC South for the fifth time in a row.