2. Bucky Irving, RB, Oregon
Heading into the offseason, Bucky Irving felt like an intriguing prospect. After playing for Minnesota as a freshman, Irving transferred to Oregon where he blossomed into a star. He topped 1,000 yards in each of his two seasons in Eugene, finishing with 2,238 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Ducks.
Irving also proved to be a talented receiver out of the backfield. He added 87 receptions for 712 yards and five touchdowns as a pass-catcher. Despite being undersized, Irving had enough production to be considered a top-five running back in this class.
He could still be a valuable addition to some teams, but he’s not someone the Browns should draft.
Standing at just 5-foot-9 and 192 pounds, Irving isn’t built to be an every-down back in the NFL. That means anyone adding him should be looking for a committee approach. Cleveland already has several players who can succeed in a committee including D’Onta Foreman, Jerome Ford, and Nyheim Hines. Adding one more feels like it might be too much.
In addition to that, Irving’s numbers at the NFL Combine left a lot to be desired. He had a 40-yard dash time of 4.55 seconds. That’s not awful but considering his size, being a burner would have helped. He also had the lowest vertical jump and second-lowest broad jump out of all running backs.
His athleticism should have set him apart and allowed teams to ignore his size. Instead, it led to more concerns — which is why the Browns would be better off skipping on Irving in the 2024 NFL Draft.