Jaguars Rookie Review: What Did Brenton Strange and Tank Bigsby Show in 2023?
The Jaguars selected 13 players in the 2023 draft, the most in franchise history. However, most of these picks came between the 5th and 7th rounds. Some rookies showed flashes of promise in 2023, while others rarely saw the field for a variety of reasons.
To break down the class, we take a look at their Day 2 picks: second-round tight end Brenton Strange and third-round running back Tank Bigsby.
With the 61st and 88th picks of the 2023 NFL Draft (2nd and 3rd rounds), the Jaguars continued to add to their offense. The team already has a veteran running back and tight end (Travis Etienne, Evan Engram), but the front office chose to bolster the roster by adding depth.
Brenton Strange
After placing the franchise tag on Evan Engram in March (he eventually signed a 3-year deal in June), the team’s long-term future at tight end was unclear. Despite reportedly never contacting Strange throughout the draft process, his career at Penn State impressed the Jaguars front office enough to make the pick.
As a true freshman, he kicked off his collegiate career by catching a touchdown in his first game. At Penn State, Strange compiled 70 catches, 755 yards and 11 touchdowns and was named to the All-Big Ten third team as a senior.
2023 Performance
Despite being limited by the eruption of Evan Engram (114 catches, 963 yards in 2024), Strange was impressive in his first few weeks of professional action. Halfway through the pre-season, he was already PFF’s highest graded rookie tight end.
At 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds, Strange has the size and strength to be an effective run-blocker, while maintaining the athleticism to keep defenses honest with his receiving ability.
Although his blocking technique and approach could benefit from more coaching and experience, his tenacity can not be taught. The league continues to embrace tight ends that are increasingly more nimble and athletic than previous years. Strange resembles the prototypical “new age” tight-end, while also serving as an asset in the run game.
On various occasions, Strange was motioned behind the offensive line and used as a “sniffer” to lead block on run plays. This is a role that Strange should be familiar with. As an H-Back at Penn State, Strange was regularly used as a lead blocker
His nose for physicality can get the best of him at times. If his blocking assignment is not aligned head-up (directly in front of him), he can be overly-aggressive and take poor angles. Instead of breaking down and squaring up, Strange sometimes lunges at defenders that are barely at arms-reach.
Even though he is a backup tight end, the Jaguars were willing to capitalize on Strange’s athleticism by targeting him on a few designed screen/dump passes throughout the season.
As a receiver, he’s demonstrated some underrated skills. Strange’s combination of strength and acceleration allows the Jaguars to effectively use him as a chip-blocker on play action passes before he hustles to the flats as a check-down option. Although the sample size is limited, he was productive with the ball in his hands and appeared comfortable.
Tank Bigsby
There's no such thing as having too many good running backs. A recent study shows that running backs get injured at a higher rate than any other position. Although the Jaguars used a 1st round pick on a running back in 2021 (Travis Etienne), the team decided they could benefit from adding a new playmaker.
As a true freshman at Auburn, Bigsby handled the transition to college with ease. He averaged 6 yards per carry for a total of 834 yards and was voted SEC Freshman Of The Year. The Georgia native continued to impress throughout his three years as a Tiger. He finished with 2903 yards (7th in program history) and 25 touchdowns (8th in program history).
2023 Performance
Although his grand total of 132 rushing yards on 2.6 yards per attempt won't raise eyebrows, the Auburn product flashed the skills to be a productive tool for the Jaguars offense.
While he is a patient and deliberate runner, Bigsby also has the agility needed to make these split-second decisions in the backfield. He sets up cut-back lanes by squaring his feet and shoulders one way, before quickly bouncing in the opposite direction to avoid tacklers.
His top-end speed (4.45 40 yard dash) likely grabbed scouts attention, but his acceleration is even more impressive. Bigsby requires a minimal amount of strides before reaching his maximum speed, which can explain why he was used as a kick returner at the end of the season (24.8 yards per return).
While the nickname “Tank” may be misleading, Bigsby is technically still larger than the average NFL running back. At 6 feet tall, he doesn’t have the leverage advantage that shorter running backs have. Bigsby could benefit from maintaining a lower pad level while carrying the ball. As somebody with a strong and compact lower body, he can take advantage of defenders by forcing them to tackle him below the waist rather than exposing his chest.
Despite his high pad-level, Bigsby’s speed and 215-pound well-proportioned frame still allow him to generate a great deal of momentum as a ball-carrier. His tendency to fall forward when being tackled makes him useful in goal-line situations.
While you rarely hear a player get criticized for trying too hard, he unnecessarily extends plays at times. Bigsby often tries to make something out of nothing when he is caught in the backfield. Although the effort is encouraging, conceding defeat in certain situations can prevent future fumbles and injuries.
