This RB class lacks a true number one, as we have seen in previous seasons with Bijan, Breece, etc. So, the top player at the position may end up being a player who isn’t necessarily viewed at the top of the board. Our job is to turn over every stone as we approach the NFL draft and find out which of the lesser talked about running backs could end up being the steal of your rookie drafts this offseason. In this article, myself and @DynastyPatrolHQ make our arguments for two guys who have a real shot at being the diamonds in the rough. College RBs over the last two drafts to average 3.8+ yards after contact and 1.0+ receiving YPRR (min 350 rushes):
We’ve already seen Bijan, Achane, and Spears take the league by storm. It’s time to find out why Irving and Estime can do the same.
The Argument for Bucky Irving
By: @DynastyPatrolHQ
Today, I will analyze one of my favorite RB sleepers of the 2024 rookie class and compare him to another RB with similar ADP. Bucky Irving (RB-OR) V Audric Estime (RB-ND). Both are lesser-known guys in this class who should be garnering more attention.
Bucky Irving stands at 5’10” and 194 lbs, putting him on the lighter side for a bell-cow role in the league. Still, Irving has the blazing speed to hit the edge and can catch it nicely out of the backfield, as evidenced by his 56 catches last year for the Oregon Ducks.
To go along with those 56 catches, Irving ran for 1,180 yards and 11 TDs. Perhaps most impressive about his college numbers is his YPC. Last year, he averaged 6.3 yards per carry, and the year before that, where he also eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing, he averaged 6.8 YPC. Those are insane numbers for any RB running for more than 1,000 yards in a season.
I usually like my RBs to average over 5.0 YPC in college; 6.3 and 6.8 are the stuff of legend. Couple that with the catches, and it shows Irving is a multi-faceted player capable of doing it all in the NFL.
Irving doesn’t have any holes in his game, though he could improve as a pass blocker. At the very least, Irving should see the field immediately as an explosive 3rd down pass catching type of back. At best, he could see extended play as the RB1 to a compliment thumper back that could grind it out between the tackles.
Irving compares Devon Achane to me; he’s a little undersized with blazing speed that can impact the league starting from day one. There’s also always a chance Irving adds around five pounds of muscle before the NFL Combine, making him that much more suited to be a workhorse in the NFL.
Audric Estime is no slouch, but he’s not as good as Bucky Irving. Estime stands at 5’11” and 227 lbs, making him more of a thumper in the NFL. He ran for 1,341 yards and 18 TDs for the Fighting Irish last season. Estime also has yet to show pass catching in his game, as he only caught 17 passes last season. He’s a thumper who won’t take it to the house routinely and needs a speed guy as a compliment.
For me, Irving and Estime couldn’t be much more different in their play styles. Estime is a 2-down grinder that can pass block and wouldn’t be on the field for 3rd down. Irving is a speedster who can catch and could use a guy like Estime to compliment him. Both backs will be good value come Devy/Rookie drafts, but based on his sheer versatility, Bucky Irving is the back of these two to own.
The Argument for Audric Estime
By: @Evan_Kerr_
Audric Estime was listed by Notre Dame as 5’11” and 227 lbs. This is an ideal height, but slightly heavier than I usually prefer my runningbacks to be. At this frame, it will be important for Estime to test well throughout the combine process to show that this extra weight doesn’t hinder him in other important areas.Â
Estime is a smooth, decisive runner who does well to set up and follow his blocks and take what his offense sets him up for. Though he does show some agility at the line of scrimmage, he isn’t one to make sudden changes in direction, and rarely do we see him make dazzling moves to elude oncoming defenders. Due to his lack of Barkley-like agility, he has compensated by becoming an extremely powerful runner with perhaps the best contact balance in this RB class. If things are blocked well (and this is key), Estime also displays explosiveness and an above-average straight-line speed that enables him to pick up large chunks of yardage. He does not possess the breakaway ability that we like to see in top-tier fantasy studs, but is better thought about as a train that is extremely difficult to stop once it hits its top speed. In fact, he was clocked at 20.8 MPH this past season (for reference, anything 21 MPH and above is considered ideal).
Estime was incredibly productive in college, serving as the lead back for the Fighting Irish in 2022 and 2023. His 18 rushing touchdowns in 2023 were the most in school history despite the Irish having a rich history at the position. His usage this past season showed that he can be a workhorse when called upon, as he rushed 210 times for 1,341 yards to go with the aforementioned number of touchdowns. He also added 17 catches for 142 yards last season, showing why he isn’t just a one-trick pony.Â
Despite his high usage and lack of breakaway ability, Estime was still an extremely efficient runner. He averaged 5.9 and 6.4 yards per carry over the last two seasons. He also imposes his size on defenders very well, leading the class in yards after contact with 4.27 and amassing 64 broken tackles on 209 carries during his junior season. Though he is a physical runner, youth and tread are very much on his side. He remains only 20 years old heading into the draft and was only a workhorse for Notre Dame for two seasons.Â
Overall, Estime is a physical specimen that has a number of tools that an NFL team would love to add to their running back room. His combination of size, power, contact balance, and explosiveness would do well to be paired as the “thunder” to another RB’s “lightning” – similar to what the Lions have shown with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs this season. He has a great chance to receive day two draft capital, and if he is selected to a system such as Baltimore, Detroit, or Dallas, I will be excited to obtain as many shares of him as possible.Â
Please click the image to view the video below, which is a small snapshot into Audric Estime’s game, but I think exemplifies a few of the traits that stand out most when watching his tape – power, explosiveness, straight-line speed, contact balance, and agility.Â
*Click image to view full video and tweet*
Thanks for reading! Any questions/positive feedback/negative feedback/whatever, we can be found on Twitter @DynastyPatrolHQ and @Evan_Kerr_ #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding #AlwaysBeScouting #DynastyFootball #NFL #NFLTrades #NFLDraft #NFLInjuries #PlantYourFlag
