Summer Scouting RBs: Tank Bigsby
Welcome to a new series on the 2023 NFL draft and some prospects I’m keeping a close eye on when the 2022 NCAA football season starts. They will consist of a little statistical background of the player followed by a short, detailed analysis of their strengths and areas they can improve upon. Each scouting report will also include a montage of clips that best demonstrate the kind of player I believe they are. This is going to be fun and we start with one of my favorite running backs in college right now, Tank Bigsby!
Tank Bigsby plays for the Auburn Tigers and is entering his junior season at the university in 2022. He burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2020 with 834 yards in ten games and on 138 carries, good enough for six yards per carry. The 6-foot, 213-pound running back, per the Auburn website, dealt with a terrible offensive line in 2021 and was still able to accumulate over 1,000 yards and ten touchdowns his sophomore season. Now he enters his draft-eligible junior year as one of the best backs in the country. Will he end the season among the best? Only time will tell, but let’s take a closer look at the traits that are getting him noticed.
Strengths:
-Bigsby is an explosive runner with excellent body control and vision that allows him to make quick decision cuts and find extra holes that other backs typically don’t.
-Quick feet and powerful legs give him the momentum and drive power to break arm tackles and finish runs falling forward.
-He has the will and technique to be an effective pass protector when called upon.
-Awareness is a hallmark of his game and shows up in pass-catching and running between the tackles.
-Sees the field as good as any back in the 2023 class
-Durable player to this point in his career
Areas to improve:
-He can be too quick to bounce a run outside and turns short gain runs into no gain runs
-Tackle breaking is inconsistent
-His re-acceleration after a cut or juke to escape more defenders isn’t as explosive as his initial acceleration
-Sparingly used on third downs/two-minute situations even though he shows three-down back traits
-Functional strength would help pass protection consistency and tackle-breaking ability
Bijan Robinson is currently the RB1 in this class and I don’t think there are many questions about it. The second spot is up for grabs and if Bigsby leans into his talents and the offensive line around him takes a step forward, no question in my mind he could be the second running back off the board come next April. He’s got the size, the vision, speed, and three-down potential to be a top-level NFL running back. One of the guys I’m most looking forward to seeing in 2023, which running back are your eyes going to be on?