Bucky Irving, RB, Oregon
Size:
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 192 pounds
Arm Length: 29 1/2"
Hand Size: 9 1/2"
Accomplishments:
Second Team All Pac-12 (2023) • Honorable Mention All Pac-12 (2022)
“Bucky Irving is an undersized running back who has exceptional vision, instincts, and contact balance and will provide playmaking ability to whichever team drafts him.”
Strengths:
Vision
Lateral agility/shiftiness
Contact balance
Concerns:
Size
Pass protection
Home-run speed
Film Analysis:
Bucky Irving is one of the class' best ball-carriers and playmakers. Irving enters the draft after two outstanding seasons with the Ducks which firmly put him on NFL radar. Irving is one of my favorite players in this class because his skill set is truly unique.
As a ball-carrier, Irving runs with excellent patience and vision. He scans the line of scrimmage while allowing his blockers to open the crease for him and he has the burst to put his foot in the ground and explode through the gap. His vision is remarkable when he gets in the open field and he can feel defenders approaching and make them miss without breaking stride.
One of Irving’s biggest knocks is his size and that is something he won’t be able to fix. He has just average size and won’t be your back if you are looking for a short-yardage and red-zone pile-mover. With that said, Irving is extremely strong and physical for a back his size and has outstanding contact balance. It’s rare for a smaller back to break so many tackles but Irving’s density and low center of gravity allow him to routinely bounce off tackles and gain additional yardage.
Irving has excellent change of direction and lateral agility to create when things aren’t blocked up correctly. He can get the offense out of trouble and has the athleticism to turn a negative play into a big gain. Irving is a highly instinctive runner who has a very good feel for cut-back lanes and how to defeat angles.
While Irving is a very explosive runner and has an uncanny ability to make defenders miss in space, I question his long speed as a true home run threat. There are times he is caught from behind in the open field and I don’t think he is a threat to score whenever he touches the football.
As a pass-catcher, Irving displays excellent hands and can truly be a mismatch for an NFL offense. Oregon used Irving as a receiver often and he is very comfortable running routes down the field and is much more than a leak-out type of receiver. One thing Irving must work on is his pass blocking, which has been an issue at times due to his overall lack of size and strength.
Overall, Irving has the playmaking ability both as a runner and receiver to be a key contributor in an NFL offense, but he does not have the prototypical size to hold up as a true every-down ball-carrier.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Winning Starter
Written By: Brentley Weissman
Exposures: Washington State (2023), Utah (2023), Washington (2023)
