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Former Oregon Football star labeled a 2024 NFL Draft 'sleeper' by ESPN and Pac-12 Coach

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Travis May | Last updated 4/19/24

The 2024 NFL Draft has a handful of former Oregon Ducks stars who could potentially be labeled "sleeper" prospects. Jackson Powers-Johnson, their former starting Center obviously can't be a sleeper since he should be a round one selection. And yes, he rightfully has gotten a lot of the attention this draft cycle, but there are a few other former Oregon football stars definitely worth mentioning when it comes to potential "sleeper" candidates this year. And one name apparently stood out the most among coaches that had to face him last fall.

According to Adam Rittenberg of ESPN, Bucky Irving, the former star running back for Oregon, is one of the best "sleeper" prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. He polled college coaches from around the country to identify top players who could exceed their draft day expectations and wrote about 40 prospects based on what he learned from some of the best in the sport.

New for ESPN+: I polled college coaches to identify NFL draft sleepers -- players ranked outside ESPN's top 40 prospects -- and why they could stand out at the next level.

Read it: https://t.co/bBC4r9FRFm
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) April 18, 2024

One Pac-12 coach from Rittenberg's piece had this to say on Bucky Irving:

"Super tough, smart, shifty, great acceleration, great decel, can catch the ball out of the backfield," a Pac-12 coach said. "He'll make it wherever he goes. He'll last a long time."

This is the perfect description of Bucky Irving. Although he's a bit undersized, Irving quite often squeezed every last possible yard available to him on any given play. In fact, over the past two seasons, Irving was one of the most efficient running backs in the country, averaging about seven yards per touch thanks to his unique and elusive play style. You can see what the Pac-12 coach was talking about in the play I highlighted in this post below.

Bucky Irving is going to be a draft day steal thanks to his weight.

Just so elusive, seemingly always maxing out every snap’s potential.pic.twitter.com/C2v2i9vL9A
— Travis May (@FF_TravisM) January 1, 2024

People may critique Bucky Irving for his size and poor athletic testing that surprised some at the NFL Combine, but that's likely a mistake. He was one of the most electric playmakers in college football two years in a row, leading all power conference running backs in receptions last fall too. If NFL teams let him fall to day three (round four and beyond) he'll certainly be a "sleeper" to watch in this 2024 NFL Draft class. He should easily exceed his draft day expectations if that's the case.

Be looking for more Oregon Football coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!

And if you want to reflect on Bucky Irving's special Oregon career you can check out some of his 2023 highlights in the video below!