The leading rusher on a dominant Auburn ground game, running back Tank Bigbsy will hope to maintain his workhorse lead back status as he enters the 2023 NFL draft.
Here is everything you need to know about the Tigers’ bruising back.
2023 NFL draft big board: Running backs
Vitals
Height: 6-0
Weight: 210
Class: Junior
40 Time: 4.56
Strengths
A tight runner with excellent cutting ability and burst, Tank Bigsby has been the workhorse for the Auburn Tigers over the last three seasons, tallying 540 carries during that span. Last season, Bigbsy was extremely productive, with 179 carries for 970 yards, and ten touchdowns on the ground, giving him an impressive 5.4 yards per carry in the SEC. Bigsby tacked on an additional career-high 30 catches for 180 yards.
As a runner, Bigsby flows well with traffic, feeling out his gaps before making a steep cut and exploding through holes. His quick cuts are among the best in the class, and Bigsby is able to hit gaps with impressive speed and momentum, all while leaving tracking linebackers lagging behind. His cutting ability also allows for him to make big plays in tighter spaces, with a nice elusive running style behind the line before exploding into open space. Should he be met with contact in the box, Bigsby has impressive drive in his legs, fighting and pushing for additional yardage. His initial burst allows him to beat linebackers to the edge of the block and turn upfield, this becomes a problem for secondary defenders who have to bring down the bruising back with momentum on his side.
As a pass catcher, Bigsby has shown enough ability to trust him for swing passes or other shorter routes. His cut-and-burst style translates well here too, as he can push away defenders who he forces bad angles on, and can quickly hit his second gear to drive into the secondary. He was also trusted as a blocker and has shown he can hold up against free rushers.
Weaknesses
While Tank Bigsby does hit his second gear quickly, he can be too often caught from behind. He generally fails to accelerate beyond that initial burst, which makes him far from a sure thing as a home run threat.
His upright running style sacrifices power. That could be an area Bigbsy could accel in even further with corrected technique. It is hard to ask a running back to completely shift how he runs, so it may be a thing coaches will have to live with when they draft him, or hope they can get him at a lower pad level somewhat consistently.
Projection
Bigbsy is made for a zone blocking one cut system, and could thrive in that style of offense at the next level. His deep-cutting ability and quick bursts will allow him to excel at finding gaps to explode through, and it will be tough for linebackers to get good angles on him once he finds an opening. If he can bring his pad level down, and lose some of that stiffness, Bigbsy could be even more effective with his power running, and knock over defenders at the second levels more consistently. Though Bigbsy is not a natural catcher of the football, he can be trusted as both a blocker and a pass catcher in a pinch, but it is hard to envision him as a true every-down back.
Projection: Third Round
