Tank Bigsby
- Rookie Draft ADP: 20
- Underdog ADP: 171
- Rookie RB Super Model: 7th (69th percentile)
- Landing Spot: Jacksonville Jaguars (88th overall)
Fantasy Outlook
Tank Bigsby came out of the NFL Draft a clear winner by securing third round draft capital and landing on a roster with limited competition behind star RB Travis Etienne.
Bigsby should be a nice complement to the explosive Etienne and could carve out a meaningful role as early as year 1. His primary competition for touches will be D'Ernest Johnson and JaMycal Hasty so I like his odds to win the job as the number two back.
This is one situation where I will be paying attention to the offseason reports and if Bigsby is working as the primary backup in the summer it will be wheels up for his 2023 redraft value.
If he wins the job he will have multiple paths to upside through contingent value in the event of an Etienne injury and should be in the mix for goal line carries on a talented Jacksonville offense.
For dynasty leagues, Bigsby is a nice option in the late second or early third round for RB-needy teams who don't land one of the elite backs in this class.
Summary
Cartavious “Tank” Bigsby is a talented, physical runner who just lacks elite athleticism. He was one of the top RB recruits in his class coming out of high school, and he went on to have a solid but slightly underwhelming college career at Auburn.
He was productive in all three seasons but failed to hit the heights that many of the top prospects in this year’s NFL Draft class did.
Year | Attempts | Rush Yards | Receptions | Rec. Yards | Total TDs |
2022 | 178 | 976 | 30 | 180 | 10 |
2021 | 224 | 1,104 | 20 | 180 | 10 |
2020 | 138 | 834 | 11 | 84 | 5 |
Bigsby didn’t wow anyone with his NFL Combine results, but they weren’t disastrous either. His speed and burst scores met the minimum thresholds for an NFL rusher, and he reportedly ran better on his pro day. However, there isn’t enough evidence to change the overall picture.
Early evaluations were mixed, but there seems to be a steady drumbeat building as we move toward the NFL Draft. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of Tank’s game and see if he’s worth the recent hype.
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Pros
Difficult to tackle
Bigsby offers an intriguing blend of power and agility. He flashes the ability to make defenders miss in tight spaces, but he can also simply run through smaller linebackers and defensive backs.
He was solid at creating yards after contact every season and finished 17th in the nation in total yards after contact in 2022. He routinely sheds arm tackles and does a good job at setting up defenders so that they make contact while off-balance.
At 6’0” and 210 lbs, Tank plays bigger than even his nickname suggests and proved to be a good short-yardage option with the lower body strength to move defenders.
Vision and patience
In my opinion, Bigsby’s most impressive trait is his vision. He is consistently able to process the defense to find cutback lanes and gaps that his blockers have set up.
Auburn ranked 92nd in run-blocking grade per PFF, so his ability to create yards on broken plays and avoid defenders in the backfield was often on display.
His vision pairs well with his excellent jump cut to help him regularly evade the first defender and create more yards than are blocked for him, a valuable skill for an early-down runner in the NFL.
This skill set should make him scheme versatile at the next level, which can help extend his time as a fantasy-relevant RB in an era of notoriously short careers.
Cons
Limited athleticism
As discussed above, Bigsby tested as an all-around average athlete. This shows up on film, too. At times, he lacks the long speed to pull away from defenses when he gets into the open field.
The absence of a top gear to pull away from defenders shows up the most on plays where he attempts to bounce the run to the outside. He has mixed results on those plays in college, but the success rate will only drop at the next level, and he would benefit from maintaining more discipline as a runner.
However, he seems to have good short-area quickness and agility, which will be more valuable for the role he will likely play in the NFL.
Below average receiver
Bigsby did improve as a receiver each season of his college career, but he is unlikely to be much of a weapon in the passing game at the next level.
He is not the most natural pass catcher and was never very efficient as a receiver. His 30 receptions as a junior prove he is capable of playing some role in the passing game but in a limited capacity at best.
His shortcomings as a receiver will likely prevent him from ever emerging as a true superstar in fantasy football, but he has enough traits to be a solid producer for a number of years.
Fantasy Impact
Early indications are that the NFL may be higher on Tank Bigsby than the fantasy community has been to this point. That will change quickly if he gets strong Day 2 draft capital.
Bigsby is currently in the middle tier of RBs, by my evaluation. Although he isn’t my favorite prospect in this class, there is enough to like that he could rise as high as my RB4 in rookie drafts if he lands on the right team.
On the flip side, a bad landing spot with disappointing draft capital could just as easily cause him to fall out of my top 10 at the position.
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