NFL Draft Profile: Tank Bigsby, Running Back, Auburn Tigers
#4
Pos: RB
Ht: 5115
Wt: 210
Hand: 0948
Arm: 3200
Wing: 7658
40: 4.56
DOB: 8/30/2001
Hometown: LaGrange, GA
High School: Callaway
Eligibility: 2023
Tank Bigsby
Auburn Tigers
One-Liner:
An eruptive athlete that carries the ball with forcefulness, Bigsby won’t enthuse you with versatility, but his role as a lead back is unquestionable.
Evaluation:
Compact frame that mirrors a stout running style. Rational with the ball, pressing the line for yards instead of dancing laterally. Upstanding play strength, particularly through the hips and legs. Forces defenders to bring their base with them, scoffing at arm tackles. Contact balance extraordinaire, thanks in large part to consistent pad level. Uncanny ability to drop his weight and contort his body through gaps. Uses remarkable acceleration to hit the second level of the defense. Competitive toughness on constant display, plunging into the teeth of the defense in search of every yard. Productive stiff-arm that displaces would-be tacklers. Spry with bodies around his feet, using quickness and balance to dodge defenders. Embraces pass protection, stepping into the fire on A-gap blitzes. Doesn't provide much after initial contact. Will not make people miss in space, opting for pure power. Tends to look for the edge too often, searching for the boundary despite cutback lanes. Not a pure burner or homerun threat, as evident by a lack of downfield runs and sideline trek. Currently, Bigsby is a downhill runner, using promising short area explosion and play strength to create yards. Adding more versatility in passing concepts while creating dynamic plays will fare his draft stock considerably well.
Grade:
2nd Round
Quotes:
Few runners would consider rushing for 1,000 yards in the SEC a disappointment but the Tigers back ended last season on a sour note and decided to dip his toes in the transfer portal. After leaning on some advice from former Auburn legend Cadillac Williams, he decided to return to the War Eagle and handle his unfinished business. Coaches sensed a renowned maturity during spring ball, a positive sign that Bigsby is back on track to being a heavy contributor. His powerful running style allows him to constantly move the chains. In addition, he shows excellent vision and is an outstanding pass-catcher out of the backfield. Through his first two seasons, he has accounted for 2,201 total scrimmage yards, while averaging 5.5 yards per touch and 15 touchdowns. While Bigsby hasn’t quite lived up to the top billing as a five-star recruit coming out of Georgia, he seems primed for a breakout campaign in 2022. - Ric Serritella
"I look at a lot of guys. I look at Alvin Kamara, Nick Chubb. I look at a lot of guys like Dalvin Cook. I look at him a lot. I like his running style, catching out the back field, the way they use him. I like how they do that. I really don’t speak with guys but I look at them and watch their film a lot." -- Auburn RB Tank Bigsby on players he emulates
Background:
Tank Bigsby is returning to the Auburn Tigers as the starting running back where in his previous season for Auburn had close to 1,100 yards as well as all SEC honorable mention and honor roll. Not only was he outstanding last season, but as a freshman, was honored as the SEC freshman of the year and first team freshman All SEC. Not only is Bigsby able to run through defenders and make people miss in the run game, he is able to be a dominant pass catcher out of the backfield, especially versus Georgia in 2020 where he had not only thirty one rushing yards, but sixty eight receiving yards. Bigsby is looking forward to continuing his success for the Tigers in the 2022 season.
