Bucs running back Rachaad White took over the reins in the Tampa Bay backfield last season, with some encouraging results to build on heading into this season.

Although he did not reach 1,000 rushing yards, White provided plenty of value with his combination of running and receiving abilities. How does he stack up against the NFL’s best running backs? Pro Football Focus recently ranked the position and gave White an interesting placement.

PFF Ranks Rachaad White As The 26th-Best RB

Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: USA Today

PFF ranked Rachaad White as the 26th-best running back in the NFL, having this to say about him.

White doubled his total yards from scrimmage from 771 yards to 1,539 in 2023, but his efficiency on the ground dropped to 3.6 yards per attempt. Despite that, White was a big factor in the Buccaneers’ offense, earning a 67.6 grade.

Like [Bills running back James] Cook, the second-year pro made an impact in the passing game, catching 64 passes for 549 yards, and will continue to be a primary facet of the Buccaneers’ offense.

White had the 7th-most all-purpose yards of all players last season, and week in and week out was an integral part of moving the ball and providing a lot of offense. A lot of that stems from the volume he had, with his 272 carries tied for second behind Derrick Henry for most in the league. Adding in his 64 passes, and that comes out to a whopping 336 touches on offense.

There are a lot of talented running backs in the league, and some bigger names such as Joe Mixon and Austin Ekeler rank below White. While it is a fairer placement than where the Bucs’ wide receivers ranked, White does have a case to be a few spots higher in the early 20s right around where Alvin Kamara ranks at No. 21.

Rachaad White Is Set To Have A More Efficient 2024

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and RB Rachaad White – Photo by: USA Today

The hope is that Bucky Irving, Chase Edmonds, and potentially Sean Tucker can lighten the load and allow for Rachaad White to get more breathers and as a result, allow him to be even more explosive when he is on the field in 2024.

White showcased last season that he can open a game up by ripping long runs or taking a short pass and turning them into big gains.

His game took another level during the Bucs’ last seven games of the year. As the offense began to click and put more points up on the scoreboard, White was a big reason why.

Here are his numbers during that span and how that projects to a full season:

Weeks 11-17: 131 carries, 531 rushing yards (4 yards per carry), 23 receptions, 195 receiving yards

Weeks 11-17 over a full season: 318 carries, 1,290 rushing yards, 63 receptions, 474 receiving yards

Back in April, White spoke about how he has been working this offseason to continue improving and being an even more efficient running back this season.

Bucs RB Rachaad White and RBs coach Skip Peete – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I’ve been training, but the biggest thing is just watching,” White said then. “Watching what I did the second half of the season – obviously, the second half of the season helped me and put me in position to be at 990 [rushing yards in 2023]. I was way more efficient running the ball, and that’s on all of us, but I take a lot of pride in saying the majority of that was on me. That’s the biggest thing right now – I’ve been learning and trying to figure it out. Right now, I’m not where I want to be in my career yards per carry-wise and things like that – just being an efficient running back.

“I think, for me, that’s [what] the biggest next step is, ‘OK, he’s efficient.’ The efficient running backs over the [course] of time – like I said, I study the game a lot – they average at least 4.0-4.1 [yards per carry] and above. Guys like Walter Payton. It’s tough, it’s hard. Everybody has had seasons where they average 3.0-something yards per carry due to whatever circumstances. The biggest thing for me is just studying the game, just understanding it and being efficient this year.”

As he continues to study the game and ways that he can get better, another big season could see him rise the ranks further at this time next year.