6 realistic Alexander Mattison replacements for the Vikings in 2024
By Adam Carlson
Possible Vikings RB Replacement No. 4
Bucky Irving (Oregon)
The Minnesota Vikings might need Bucky Irving to slide a little in the 2024 NFL Draft if they are interested in using one of their fourth-round picks on him, but that could be a fantastic situation for the purple and gold.
Irving has a smaller frame at 5-foot-9 and 192 pounds, but he runs hard and holds on to the football well. He also boasts a nice variety of moves to catch defenders off-guard and force missed tackles.
He does have a few weaknesses. Irving could tend to improve on his patience for holes to develop as well as his skills as a blocker, but those are both areas that could be worked on by Minnesota's coaching staff while getting him ready for the NFL.
Bucky Irving ran 186 times in 2023 for 1,180 yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games while adding 56 catches for 413 yards and two more scores. Minnesota Vikings fans might know him best from his 2021 campaign with the Golden Gophers.