Do the Buccaneers have the potential Rookie Running Back of the Year?

Irving had a strong preseason. He had eight carries for 80 yards and a touchdown and also averaged 4.4 yards per carry — if he can do that in real games, he’ll do well. There will be other rookie running backs to compete with — Jonathan Brooks of the Carolina Panthers, Trey Benson of the Arizona Cardinals and Blake Corum of the Los Angeles Rams come to mind — but he should still get plenty of carries in Tampa Bay, even as a No. 2 back.

Irving played well at Oregon and was known as a tackle-breaking back, but a poor performance at the NFL Combine caused his stock to plummet. The Buccaneers were able to pick him in the fourth round as a result, and if he can maintain his tackle-breaking prowess and make the cuts he needs to — and preseason looked promising on both counts — he could be better than the backs selected ahead of him.

He’ll get his first chance to make himself heard next Sunday, when the Buccaneers open the season on September 8 against the Washington Commanders.

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