Getty Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
The Dallas Cowboys are looking for their newest RB and their choice could be a young, talented RB coming out of Eugene, Oregon. Dallas released a list of visits they’re hosting in the first week of April, and one name to note is Bucky Irving.
Irving is one of three RBs confirmed to visit with the Cowboys this week, along with Florida State product Trey Benson, Texas standout Jonathon Brooks and Wisconsin prospect Braelon Allen. Benson and Brooks have been linked to Dallas all offseason, but Irving is another name to consider.
“Another day two option at running back,” DallasCowboys.com’s Nick Harris wrote on April 2. “Irving doesn’t blow you away with his size or speed, but his ability to dip his shoulder and fight off contact allowed for him to be a productive runner for the Ducks.”
If Dallas does take an RB in the draft, Irving could provide decent value for a third-round pick. Projections have varied, putting Irving as a high-second-round pick to a mid-fourth-round selection.
As Harris alludes, Irving doesn’t have a freakish athletic profile. But the numbers and tape are certainly encouraging.
Bucky Irving Shines in Eugene
After starting his college career at Minnesota and putting together a solid freshman season, Irving tried his chances in the transfer portal and Oregon came calling. In the two seasons since, Irving has been the team’s lead back.
According to Sports Reference, Irving crossed the 1000-rushing yard mark in both 2022 (1058) and 2023 (1180.) While he was certainly effective in 2022, his second season in Eugene was a considerable step up.
Irving scored 13 total touchdowns and added 413 receiving yards to boot. He averaged 6.3 yards per rushing attempt and 7.4 yards per reception.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein provided a deeper look at Irving in his draft profile, explaining why Irving isn’t being considered an elite prospect. It has nothing to do with his on-field production, but rather a lackluster combine performance.
“Compact and willful, Irving is deeply committed to each run his play-caller trusts him with. He punches above his weight class with excellent contact balance and leg drive to fight through tackles and squeeze every yard out of the run,” Zierlein wrote. “However, Irving showed a concerning lack of explosiveness at the NFL Scouting Combine. He is frequently in a rush and would rather run through a wall than around it but he does have the agility to make tacklers miss with wide, lateral cuts when he runs with better patience.”
Cowboys Draft Picks in 2024
No matter how the Cowboys approach the running back position, they have to make their draft picks count. Dallas only has seven draft picks this year, and the majority of them are in the last three rounds.
- 1st Round, 24th Overall
- 2nd Round, 56th Overall
- 3rd Round, 87th Overall
- 5th Round, 173rd Overall
- 6th Round, 216th Overall
- 7th Round, 233rd Overall
- 7th Round, 244th Overall
The 173rd and 216th overall picks are compensatory picks for free agency turnover during the 2023 offseason. It’s safe to say that the Cowboys are fortunate to have those selections, because otherwise they’d be entering the draft with even less buying power.