Shock Exclusion: Bucs’ White Snubbed from Elite NFL Running Back List!
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers believe they have one of the NFL’s best running backs in Rachaad White; everyone else needs convincing. On May 27, PFF’s Thomas Valentine placed White 26th among the NFL’s top running backs, indicating that the third-year Tampa Bay star still has work to do if he wants to be considered one of the best at his position. Over the last two seasons, the Buccaneers have averaged 82.9 rushing yards per game, ranking lowest in the NFL.
“White doubled his total yards from scrimmage from 771 yards to 1,539 in 2023, but his efficiency on the ground dropped to 3.6 yards per attempt,” wrote Valentine. “Despite this, White played a significant role in the Buccaneers’ offence, getting a 67.6 grade. Like (James) Cook, the second-year pro made an impact in the passing game, catching 64 catches for 549 yards, and will remain a key component of the Buccaneers’ offence.
Valentine ranked Christian McCaffrey, the San Francisco 49ers’ running back, first on his list. Both Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (No. 5) and New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (No. 21) were ranked higher than White.
White was drafted by the Buccaneers in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft (No. 91 overall) from Arizona State after earning All-Pac-12 honours in 2021. In 2023, he had 1,539 all-purpose yards (990 rushing and 549 receiving) and 9 touchdowns, a significant increase from his rookie year of 771 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Right now, I’m not where I want to be in terms of career yards per carry and other metrics — just being an efficient running back,” White said as the Buccaneers began offseason workouts on April 16. “For me, the most important next step is to acknowledge that he is efficient. The efficient running backs over time — as I previously stated, I studied the game extensively — average at least 4.0-4.1 (yards per carry) or higher.
When the Buccaneers turned things around at the end of the season, winning 5 of 6 games to finish the regular season, White was as good as almost any running back in the NFL. In that run, White produced over 100 yards of total offence in three consecutive games — victories over the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, and Green Bay Packers — and scored touchdowns in back-to-back games for the first time in 2023.
“We thought he might go a little bit earlier,” said Tampa Bay Director of Player Personnel Mike Biehl after the Bucs selected Irving. “He’s someone we came in for a ‘Top 30’ visit and spent some time with. We expected him to be a second-day choice, but he falls to the third day. I believe that even when Jason phoned him, he had a chip on his shoulder, thinking he should have gone earlier. We kind of like it. He’s just another good character guy that we’ve been looking for. He fits the mould.
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