Buccaneers running back Rachad White took command of Tampa Bay’s backfield last season and has shown some promising results heading into this season.
While White never reached 1,000 yards rushing, his combination of running and receiving ability provided plenty of value. How does he compare to the NFL’s best running backs? Pro Football Focus recently ranked the position. And it gave White an interesting placement.
PFF ranks Rachad White as the 26th best running back
Buccaneers RB Rachad White – Photo courtesy of USA Today
PFF ranks Rachad White as the 26th best running back in the NFL and said this about him:
White doubled his scrimmage yards from 771 to 1,539 in 2023, but his efficiency on the ground dropped to 3.6 yards per attempt. Nevertheless, White was a big factor in the Buccaneers’ offense, earning a 67.6 rating.
like [Bills running back James] Cook, a second-year pro, made an impact in the passing game, catching 64 passes for 549 yards and will likely continue to be a key piece of the Buccaneers’ offense.
White recorded the seventh-most all-purpose yards of any player last season and was a vital part of the offense’s ability to move the ball on a weekly basis. A lot of that was down to his volume, with his 272 carries tied for second in the league behind Derrick Henry. Add in his 64 passes and you get a whopping 336 touches on offense.
There are plenty of talented running backs in the league, with big names like Joe Mixon and Austin Ekeler ranked below White. Buccaneers wide receiver rankingsWhite could be a few notches higher, in the low 20s, with Alvin Kamara ranked 21st.
Ratchad White plans to be more efficient in 2024
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield and RB Rachad White – Photo courtesy of USA Today
The hope is that Bucky Irving, Chase Edmonds and perhaps Sean Tucker can ease the load and allow Rachad White to get more rest, which will allow him to be even more explosive when he takes the field in 2024.
White demonstrated his ability to take control of games last season by making long runs or receiving short passes and turning them into big gains.
White’s play took another step up in the Buccaneers’ final seven games of the year, as the offense began to click and he was a big reason for the increased scoring.
Here are his numbers during that period and how they project to the full season.
Weeks 11-17: 131 carries, 531 yards rushing (4 yards per carry), 23 receptions, 195 yards receiving
Full season Weeks 11-17: 318 carries, 1,290 yards rushing, 63 receptions, 474 yards receiving.
Back in April, White spoke about how he’s been working in the offseason to further develop and become a more efficient running back this season.
Buccaneers running back Rachad White and running back coach Skip Peat – Photo: Cliff Welch/PR
“I’ve been working out, but the biggest thing is just watching,” White said at the time. “If you look at how I played the second half of the season, it’s definitely helped me and put me in a position to play at 990 pounds. [rushing yards in 2023]I was a lot more efficient running the ball. It’s all of our responsibility, but I take a lot of pride in saying a large part of it is mine. That’s the biggest thing right now. I’m learning and trying to figure it out. Right now, I’m not where I want to be in my career in terms of yards per carry or anything like that. Just being an efficient running back.
“For me, that’s [what] The biggest next step is, “OK, he’s efficient.” [course] Over time – as I said, I study the game a lot – my average is at least 4.0-4.1 [yards per carry] Nobody does better than that. There are guys like Walter Payton. It’s tough, it’s hard. Everybody’s had seasons where they averaged 3.0 yards per carry, whatever the situation. The most important thing for me is to study the game, understand it and play efficiently this year.”
He continues to study his game and how to improve, so by this time next year he could be having another big season and climbing the ranks even further.
