Maurice Jones-Drew: Bucky Irving Not A Top-10 Back
September 5th, 2025
Strange omission.
Was Bucs running back Bucky Irving dissed?
Last year, Bucky ranked 10th in yards rushing with 1,122 and seventh in the league in yards per carry at 5.4. Bucky was also 11th in the league for running backs with 8.3 yards per catch.
Not good enough for former Jags running back and current NFL Media analyst Maurice Jones-Drew.
In picking his top 10 running backs, MJD didn’t list Bucky.
Some of MJD’s ranked running backs are rookie Omarion Hampton of the Chargers, rookie Ashton Jeanty of the Raiders, Kyren Williams of the Rams, whose rushing numbers were about 200 yards more than Bucky but his average-per-rush and receiving yards were lower than Bucky’s. They also were lower than Christian McCaffery, who only played in four games last year and is nicked up already this season.
How MJD could claim a rookie, who hasn’t touched a ball in a game, is already better than Bucky is beyond Joe.
So, Joe guesses the way Bucky has to earn the respect of a fellow running back is to play so well and help the Bucs win so much that folks can no longer ignore him.
September 5th, 2025 at 9:08 am
I love the bulletin board material. Keep it coming.
September 5th, 2025 at 9:10 am
Funny. July 8, 2025 in an NFL.com post, MJD ranked Bucky 10th. Pffttt…whatever.
September 5th, 2025 at 9:16 am
MJD is the hackiest of hacks.
September 5th, 2025 at 9:16 am
MJD consuming too many recreational substances. .and the Pornstache at LT no help.
September 5th, 2025 at 9:19 am
This is nothing new with media. Too many hacks
September 5th, 2025 at 9:20 am
We’ve seen Bucky once this year and he couldn’t gain any yards against the Steelers. Will he have a second year slump? Maybe MJD sees something in Bucky to drop him out of the top ten. I hope Bucky has another solid year but I need to see it.
September 5th, 2025 at 9:22 am
MJD is a hot take artist. I put him in the Adam Rank category of clowns who’s opinions I could not care less about.
September 5th, 2025 at 9:58 am
Good. ‘Ef MJD. Disrespect = motivation!
September 5th, 2025 at 10:03 am
Who cares? Make a significant contribution to winning and the rankings will take care of themselves. Please, God, get me to the weekend and real action so we can stop talking about opinions.
September 5th, 2025 at 10:08 am
I have a feeling Jeanty’s ranking #9 will be low by mid-year. Dude is a beast.
September 5th, 2025 at 10:13 am
Now days especially, too many analysts rate teams and players based on their feelings and not on research.
September 5th, 2025 at 10:22 am
MJD needs to push away from the buffet line. Dudes about to explode. You can’t rank rookies ahead of any vets before they have a regular season carry, just dumb. Right now Hampton isn’t even starting on his own team. Maybe it’s time nfl network hire another retired player for an analysis gig. Jones takes are ridiculous.
September 5th, 2025 at 10:23 am
I hope bucky sees this and uses it for motivation
September 5th, 2025 at 10:27 am
I trust MJD’s opinion. He was a stud. Bucky won’t hold up. That’s the problem with Bucky. He’ll miss 1/2 the season due to injury. Mark the tape.
September 5th, 2025 at 10:28 am
Including rookies in Top 10 categories before 1 single snap is the definition of moronic
September 5th, 2025 at 10:30 am
If headed to the ATL game go 93.7 the fan Atlanta website, tailgate central. Free tickets to a tailgate party with lots of freebies. Including adult beverages. See ya there.
September 5th, 2025 at 10:42 am
Jeff, we will mark the tape. He didn’t miss any games last year, and we know about opinions.
September 5th, 2025 at 10:43 am
Jeff. Your grandpa has been really patient with you. But he’s had about enough. And he’s fixin to beat your a$$. And many of us would say he’s waited too long.
September 5th, 2025 at 10:47 am
Bucky in my humble opinion is not even a top 40 running back in the NFL, I would rank him 43rd in the NFL
September 5th, 2025 at 10:49 am
I just want our players to stick it to the media by winning the Super Bowl again.
Nobody said this better than Barber,
“Pro Bowl My A$$$, I’m going to the SUPER BOWL!!!”
LFG!!!!!!
September 5th, 2025 at 10:50 am
He is a professional troll. Mastering the art of rage bait. Go Bucky! Go Bowles!
September 5th, 2025 at 10:58 am
Wow rookies who haven’t played a down in front of Bucky?? He needs to watch some actual tape instead of eating cheeseburgers.
September 5th, 2025 at 11:18 am
Hey, Hey…
We have Real Trolls in the line up today… THE FEAR IS REAL! The ladies jack off and jerk are in da house and Have PROVED that they are Legitimately TERRIFIED OF OUR BUCS! Thanks girls… And Don’t Forget to pick up your “free lipstick” at the door as your “I’ve Already Lost and Have No Hope” door prize.
O yeah btw, the smell your fear stinks up the place really bad so please don’t forget to wash yourselves with your feminine products if you’re stupid enough to come back. Daisy girl or Nasty Snatch products is probably what will work best for you.
I Mean, the smell of your troll fear is PUNGENT! Don’t Forget the lipstick because it can only help pigs like yourselves as I’m Sure your boyfriends already tried to tell you
Have a nice day
September 5th, 2025 at 11:22 am
Seems every ex player is a media “mogul” these days.
To stand out in the media chockablock, the only way to grab attention is to go against the grain, whether you believe in what you’re about to say, or not.
Most everybody thinks Bucky is a top ten RB. Some, like me, would have him in the top five.
Jones-Drew can’t simply get by with his hyphen alone, so he garners attention by creating nonsensical takes. A rookie, without a single carry, is better than Bucky? Yeah, right!
Everybody who commented on this article is talking about Jones-Drew. That’s all he’s seeking, caring little whether the chat is complimentary or hurtful.
They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Wouldn’t surprise me if Jones-Drew has those words hanging from his office wall.
September 5th, 2025 at 11:32 am
Jones Drew is a Bias HACK! His pride an joy the “jag off’s” never was and Certainly WON’T BE for a very very long time.
HE CERTAINLY COULDN’T GET THEM THERE!
Napoleon complex is a Real Disease. And tiny tim jones is one of the best examples of that Debilitating Condition. He’s we’ll aware that Bucky IS GOING TO BE Exciting his whole career. Comparisons to Great “Barry Sanders” is No little jones drew size, thing… So keep on looking like the “Napoleon Complexed Jerk You Are” drew…..
Sad for you little fella. Are you Actually the Jerk Off guy that commented above? It kinda Smells like it you….
September 5th, 2025 at 11:35 am
O and drew aka “jack meoff”, don’t forget your free lipstick for pigs on your way out…
September 5th, 2025 at 11:35 am
It’s all good, my pal Mr. Bowles didn’t realize Bucky was #1 till way late in the season. Bucky will have all season to show these fellas!
September 5th, 2025 at 11:39 am
Joe, three days to Atl. kickoff and we still are looking at 2024 schedule. Some people, like me, refer to Joe’s schedule often during the season AND pre-season.
September 5th, 2025 at 11:51 am
MJD is a Fat-F*** and nobody cares about his opinion. Dude looks like he ate Shaun King.
Bucky will show everyone what’s up this year!
GO BUCS!!!!!!
September 5th, 2025 at 12:38 pm
Another one that will be shut up
September 5th, 2025 at 12:48 pm
I’ve never heard so many cry babies with their panties in a wad. So MJD doesn’t have Bucky in his top 10… So what. A quick look at a handful of fantasy football sites rankings and the highest has Bucky at #9. No big deal
I’ve been a buc fan longer than most of you have been alive. The hype train this year is out of control which almost always leads to the train coming off the tracks . Nothing wrong with being positive and optimistic but the euphoria on this site has taken on a life of its own.
Maybe we are the greatest team to ever step foot on a field but I will stay hopeful and humble. This team has been put so high on a pedestal I would hate too see it fall.
September 5th, 2025 at 1:03 pm
We are two days away from the start of our season. Outside of fantasy football and gambling all kinds of rankings are a waste of time. by monday night only stats and win loss records matter.
respect is for the off season.
September 5th, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Bucky Irving is not Saquon Barkley. Guess what? He doesn’t have to be! That’s the thing about football. If you have the line to open the holes, lots of guys can run through them. That’s why only the Barkleys and the Henrys among RB’s make the really big bucks. Hell, I would love to see Barkley running behind our line. But we couldn’t pay him – not and pay everyone else. So, I can live with Bucky and Rachaad and Sean Tucker.
September 5th, 2025 at 1:45 pm
I was going to list ‘those three’ rookie RB’s in my list the other day (the “Top Weapons” post), but decided to leave them all off (as I did with the ‘rookie’ QB’s last preseason). They ‘all three’ are going to be VERY strong. I still had Bucky right on that Top-10 edge, as being debatable. I like Bucky! I mean, WHO doesn’t!? But, there is a good reason WHY those guys were all drafted in the FIRST-Round, and “Bucky” in the 4TH (all the ‘measurables’ and that extra BURST). So, I’m afraid those ‘rookies’ are gonna have A LOT to say about it, by the end of this season. Bucky just does not have the ‘explosiveness’ as a James Cook (who is extremely, underrated and undervalued, because of Allen)… There are A LOT of great ‘running backs’ all throughout the league. Last season, Cook LED The LEAGUE in Rushing TD’s with a very ‘low-key’ 16 (most for the Bills, since O.J. did it in 1975). HE also, averaged a 7.7% Rush TD Percentage, which was the ‘3rd-Highest’ by a RB over the past 20 SEASONS. He also had FOUR TD-Runs of over 40-YARDS… Tied for THE MOST By A Running Back over the last 15-SEASONS. Just think of what HIS numbers would’ve been playing in the “Bucs (COEN) System” last year, and without Josh Allen eating up a lot of those carries. I expect HIM to be fed A LOT this season, as long as he stays healthy! But, my ‘list’ would include (in no particular order, just off the top of my head, so I might’ve left a couple off, and no ‘rookies’ yet, also assuming all are 💯 completely ‘healthy’)… Barkley, McCaffrey, Jacobs, Gibbs, Bijan, J. Taylor, Henry, Pacheco, & Cook. Then, you can debate Bucky, K. Williams, B. Hall, K. Walker, A. Jones, Mixon, Kamara, C. Brown (Cincy-STUD), and I really like James Conner, too… HE KNOWS how to get it into the endzone. And, Bradley Chubb would DEFINITELY be a part of this discussion, if not for some really BAD injury luck… Actually, would’ve been near the very TOP of the list, just 2-3 years ago. I like Montgomery in DET too, splitting carries with Gibbs… HELLUVA Player. So, just lots and LOTS and LOTS of great ‘Backs’ all across THIS LEAGUE. Need to come up with a ‘tier’ or ‘mountain top’ list, just like some of the tv-personalities do with the QB’s. I don’t believe I have seen one yet, for Running-Backs, OR Wide-Receivers!?:/ Hmmmm…
September 5th, 2025 at 2:09 pm
Yeah, right Lmao. “The Media” and MJD (who actually PLAYED in this league, and at a pretty DAMN HIGH-level, I might add) are all “Hacks,” BUT YOU… Cryin’ over YOUR Team’s Player, that YOU root for, NOT making a particular list. Yah, okay then… Now, WHO’s REALLY “The Hack,” here!? LoL
September 5th, 2025 at 2:46 pm
Now, please tell me WHO’s “Biased” Again… Hahahah. All of these “Barry Sanders” comparisons that I’ve heard now, for almost a year, are just absolutely ABSURD. On SO MANY levels, it’s ridiculous. I mean, talkin about “homerism,” & etc. It’s just not even the same thing. “Apples to Oranges.” Yes, ALL of THAT. These comments are just not based on ‘reality’ and are only originating from being stuck inside of some Blinded Bucs-Bubble. I mean, you can argue MJD including the ‘rookies’ BUT you canNOT argue “Bucky” being a 💯LOCK ‘Top-10’ Running-Back. Because, it’s just NOT that easily cut & dry. Definitely, NOT in the TOP-5. And, this is “MJD’s LIST.” Period. NOT YOURS. And, HE played the damn game. WHO the hell are YOU. A Bucs-FAN (true “Homer”), who got their feelings hurt. Over someone ELSE’s LIST… That is extremely debatable. Just LOOK at the ‘list’ of running-backs I mentioned above. I mean, come-on.
September 5th, 2025 at 2:53 pm
People talkin bout MJD’s “credibility” and then proceed to compare BUCKY to BARRY. FREAKIN. SANDERS. I mean, come-on Man. Lmao.
September 5th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
In a season where 7 games were against 5 teams ranked between 27 and 32 against the Run I can see where people could make the jump to HOF Trajectory and Barry Sanders comparisons.
I’ll wait until I see him in the six straight games against teams ranked 15, 11, 17, 10,16, and 18 in 2024. Before he faces the Saints and Panthers and the HOF Hooplah starts all over again.
In the Wild Card Round the Commanders accepted Irving getting some running yards but shut the backs receiving down with 4 catches and 20 yards. I expect more teams will take that approach in 2025 If Irving averages the 77 yards a game like the WC round on the season for 1300 yards it still wont make him top 10 yet. Nobody is going to stack the box like they do for Barkley and Henry to stop Irving.
Had a good year in 2024. Teams will either pay more attention or accept the yardage and try to shut down other areas of the offense.
September 5th, 2025 at 4:43 pm
Lmao, have another cheeseburger there MJD.
September 5th, 2025 at 6:54 pm
Maurice is a dangerous man, for he is a fool who thinks he is brilliant. I don’t mind his analysm when he stays in his Lane kind of like comic relief he’s a bit of a nut ball but when he tries to implement something he thinks he knows about it usually shows how much he’s off on the other page coloring with crayons
September 6th, 2025 at 10:01 am
Bucky was top 10 last year. Whole new season. Teams have seen him work. Love him. Hope he holds up. But Tucker can fill in if Bucky gets hurt and I think the run game wont miss a beat.
September 6th, 2025 at 1:44 pm
MJD doesn’t like Bucky because he’s not a punishing runner. Bucky runs with good vision which puts defenders at a disadvantage. He forces them to take bad angles causing a lot of arm tackles. Which Bucky is adept at brushing off. He’s a special talent with a long career ahead of him because he doesn’t take every hit head on. I’m extremely happy he’s a a buccaneer. Not as elusive as Warrick Dunn but similar running style. Bucky may not be out there to physically punish defenders but he certainly punishes defenses by gaining yards and winning games.
September 7th, 2025 at 7:03 am
The Buck didn’t start playing until week 7? If he started week 1 he would of probably had over 2000 yards running and receiving and 15 plus touchdowns guaranteed. People jealous because Bucs have someone better than Barry Sanders and Barkley……