College: Oregon
Age: 21
Position: Running Back
Height/Weight: 5'10" / 195 pounds
40-yard dash time: 4.45 seconds (projected)
Positives:
Acceleration: Irving gets to top speed quickly and has good projected speed. This allows him to break away from defenders and create big plays.
Vision: Irving displays pretty good vision between the tackles and is able to find holes in the defense. This allows him to be a consistent runner and pick up yards after contact.
Elusiveness: Irving has a good juke move and overall plus elusiveness. This allows him to break tackles and make defenders miss in space. This makes him a dangerous runner in the open field.
Bucky Irving went FLYING into the end zone 🦆 pic.twitter.com/TfiUfO6Seo
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 21, 2023
Receiving: Irving has decent receiving experience and ran routes at receiver in college. This allows him to be a versatile weapon in the passing game.
Negatives:
Outside runs: Irving bounces too many runs to the outside, which can lead to lost yardage. This is something he needs to work on in order to be a more effective runner.
Dancing: Irving dances around too much in the backfield at times. This can delay his run and give defenders time to react. This is something he needs to avoid in order to be a more successful runner.
Power: Irving's power is average at best. This can make it difficult for him to run through defenders, especially in short-yardage situations. This is something he needs to improve in order to be a more complete running back.
Draft Projection: Second-Third Round
Irving is a skilled running back with a lot of potential. He has the tools to be successful in the NFL, but he needs to work on his outside running and stop dancing around in the backfield so much.
Irving would be a good fit for a team that's looking for a running back with good speed, vision, and elusiveness. He's also a good receiver and blocker, so he could fit in a variety of schemes.
NFL Comparison: Warrick Dunn
Comparing anyone to an NFL legend like Dunn is a lofty comparison, but Irving is worthy of this claim. They're both extremely quick, have good vision, and can dodge defenders like crazy. Irving and Dunn are both versatile running backs who excel in the passing game. They both have soft hands and can run routes and catch the ball out of the backfield.
Irving and Dunn have very similar playing styles. They both prefer to run between the tackles, but they can also run outside and make plays in the open field.
One of the biggest things Irving and Dunn have in common is their speed. They both get up to top speed fast, which makes them dangerous in the open field. Irving is projected to run the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds, which is very close to Dunn's actual time of 4.41 seconds.