Few teams in the league have drafted as well as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have over the last several seasons. The 2024 class might have been the best group yet.
Several starters include first round guard Graham Barton, slot cornerback Tykee Smith, and linebacker Chris Braswell.
If we are judging the best of the 2024 group, though, only one player stands out above the rest.
Oregon running back Bucky Irving recorded a 1,000-yard season in 2024 behind his speed and athleticism. He was a big part in getting Tampa Bay's offense into an elite category last season.
And according to Pro Football Focus' Ryan Smith, he is easily the top choice when dissecting the team's 2024 class.
"Irving didn’t have as much volume as other top running backs early in the 2024 season but was a workhorse down the stretch, leading the NFL in yards after contact per attempt (3.93) and forcing 62 missed tackles in the process," Smith wrote. "He earned elite PFF grades as a runner (90.0) and a receiver (90.5) for the NFC South champion Buccaneers."
Irving has become one of the best offensive weapons in the NFL in just a single season. So ... what's next?
If he can continue to show that in 2025, the Buccaneers could be on a Super Bowl path. And if that happens? The Oregon product Irving, who took such a major leap forward last year, will become even more of a darling to the stat guys and to Buccaneers fans everywhere.