Position Group: Running Backs
Players: Bucky Irving, Rachaad White, Sean Tucker, Michael Wiley (Reserve/Future), Josh Williams (Reserve/Future), Own Wright (Reserve/Future)
2025 Evaluation: Bucky Irving suffered foot and shoulder injuries in Week Four against Philadelphia, with the shoulder ailment keeping him off the field for a significant portion of the 2025 slate. He returned in Week 13 against the Arizona Cardinals and totaled 421 snaps this past season. Irving gained 588 yards on 173 carries in 2025 with a touchdown. He has accumulated 111 missed tackles forced since 2024, which is 11th in the NFL. Additionally, his 31.5% forced missed tackle percentage since 2024 is third in the league. Irving runs with outstanding contact balance and elusiveness on lateral jump cuts. Whether inside zone or counter gap runs, Irving helped spur the ground effort in 2025.
Rachaad White totaled 574 snaps in 2025 and amassed 572 yards and four touchdowns on 132 carries. White set the tone on the ground with dirty runs between the tackles in short-yardage situations and with his effectiveness on screens on checkdowns. He is natural in space and plays with physicality, stiff-arming defenders into oblivion. White's proficiency as a blocker attributed to the three-down workload and he showcased improved decisiveness downhill.
Sean Tucker nabbed 177 snaps and finished with 320 yards on 86 carries. His breakout game came against the Bills in Week 11, where he contributed 106 rushing yards on 19 carries (5.6 avg.), with two rushing touchdowns. Tucker's 106 rushing yards were his second-most in any single game of his career (136 at New Orleans, 10/13/24). Tucker accumulated 140 total yards from scrimmage in that clash, the second-most in any single game of his career, behind only his 192-yard outburst at New Orleans (10/13/24). Through the air, Tucker finished with two receptions for 34 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown reception. He fights through contact with a low center of gravity and makes sharp cuts downhill. Tucker showed his ability to escape inside run lanes with outstanding lateral maneuvers and ignited the ground attack.
2026 Outlook: Both Rachaad White and Sean Tucker (restricted free agent) will be impending free agents in March and the Buccaneers will likely need to add reinforcements to the position room, either through the draft or with a veteran in free agency. The duo have served as complements to Irving and White is No. 3 in receiving touchdowns (nine), No. 5 in yards after catch (1,432), No. 7 in receptions (153) and No. 7 in receiving yards (1,142) among running backs since 2023.
