The Buccaneers have more options in the backfield than they did a year ago, but ESPN’s latest running back rankings still left Tampa Bay on the outside looking in.
Jeremy Fowler’s 2026 list, built from votes by league executives, coaches and scouts, put Bijan Robinson at No. 1 and finished with Jahmyr Gibbs, Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor in the top five. The Buccaneers didn’t land a single back in the top 10, didn’t get an honorable mention and didn’t receive any votes.
That’s not exactly a stunner, but it does set up a clear question heading into training camp: can Tampa Bay turn a deeper room into something the league actually notices?
Right now, the answer has to be earned. The Buccaneers are leaning on Bucky Irving, Kenneth Gainwell and Sean Tucker as their top three backs, a group that brings different strengths to the table.
Irving offers the most upside as a lead option. Gainwell brings proven value as a receiver and runner.
Tucker has already shown he can finish drives.
Irving is the name that matters most. He missed seven games in 2025 with foot and shoulder injuries, led the Buccaneers with 173 rushing attempts and scored just one rushing touchdown. After the injury stretch, he gave way to Tucker and Rachaad White for touches, but his ceiling still makes him the most dynamic piece in the room if he’s healthy.
Health, though, is the whole story with Irving. He is coming back from offseason shoulder surgery and was absent from the mandatory minicamp June 16-18, though the expectation is that he’ll be ready for training camp. Last season, he sat out Weeks 5-12 because of a shoulder subluxation and sprained foot, then finished strong with 113 touches for 435 scrimmage yards and two total touchdowns over the final six games.
Tampa Bay also reshaped the backfield by letting White walk in free agency and replacing him with Gainwell. The Buccaneers signed Gainwell to a two-year, $14 million deal after his breakout 2025 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He put up 1,023 yards from scrimmage and eight total touchdowns, setting career highs in rushing yards, receiving yards and touchdowns while giving Pittsburgh steady production in both phases.
That kind of versatility matters for new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. Gainwell gives the Buccaneers a back who can stay on the field on passing downs and help the offense avoid tipping its hand too early.
Then there’s Tucker, who keeps making his case in a different way. Tampa Bay re-signed him after he received a restricted free agent qualifying offer, and the team said he led the Buccaneers with eight total touchdowns in 2025. The club also noted that he has topped 300 rushing yards in a reserve role in each of the last two seasons.
His path has been a steady climb. Tucker signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent out of Syracuse in 2023, barely played as a rookie, and then carved out a bigger role over the past two seasons. From 2024-25, he rushed 136 times for 628 yards and nine touchdowns, while adding 17 catches for 143 yards and two scores.
So the message from ESPN is simple enough: the Buccaneers’ running backs haven’t proven enough yet to crack the national top tier. But the group has enough pieces to change that fast.
Irving has to stay on the field and handle the load. Gainwell has to carry his Pittsburgh production into Tampa Bay.
Tucker has to keep scoring while becoming more efficient snap to snap.
If those things happen, this backfield could end up looking a lot better than its ranking suggests. For now, ESPN’s list is the snapshot. The 2026 season will be the test.
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Instead, Irving was left on the outside of the conversation entirely, not even landing in the honorable-mention tier as other backs such as Breece Hall, Quinshon Judkins, Travis Etienne Jr. and Alvin Kamara drew support. For a player who flashed like a future centerpiece in Tampa Bay, the omission is the kind of slight that tends to linger, especially when the Buccaneers are still trying to figure out just how high Irvings ceiling can be once hes healthy again. [Read more 🡒]