Former Oregon Ducks running back Bucky Irving concluded an impressive preseason for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday. The 4th round NFL Draft pick led his team with six carries, 26 yards along with one catch for five yards in a win against the Miami Dolphins.
In three preseason games, Irving totaled 18 carries for 80 yards and a rushing touchdown. He also averaged an impressive 4.4 yards per carry.
"Just keep my head down, keep working," said Irving after his first preseason game. "I've still got a lot of things I need to keep working on to get better at, but I'm not satisfied. I'm just trying to improve and get better."
With NFL cut day taking place at 4:00 ET on Tuesday, NFL teams must trim their rosters from 90 to 53 players. Bucky Irving not only appears to be in a safe spot to make the roster, but he might be due for a big role right away.
It was announced on Saturday that veteran running back Chase Edmonds will start the season on Injured Reserve. Tampa Bay has a clear starting running back in Rachaad White, but the door may be wide open for Irving beyond that. Sean Tucker and D.J. Williams are other names to watch in the Buccaneers running back room as cut day approaches.
“(Irving) can stick his foot in the ground and run the ball. More importantly, he can make the first guy miss more often than not,” said coach Todd Bowles earlier this preseason. “And, you know, that’s a rare trait to have in this ballgame, especially when, you know, so many guys can tackle well and get to the ball real fast. To make the first guy miss and potentially have big-play ability, that’s something that we didn’t have a lot of last year.”
Tampa Bay opens its season on September 8th at home against the Washington Commanders.
The dynamic running back electrified last season for the Ducks, finishing with 1,192 yards and 11 touchdowns on 186 carries, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. His ability as a receiver shined as well, catching 55 passes for 395 yards and two touchdowns.
In 2023, Irving forced 69 missed tackles and had 18 runs of 15-plus yards. Irving's elusiveness and speed caught the attention of Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen in NFL training camp.
"The nice thing I like about Bucky is he gets to his top speeds early," said Coen of Irving's strengths as a runner. "When he accepts the handoff, he bursts and accelerates through the hole and can make people miss in space."
