New York Giants Draft Prospect Profile: RB Tank Bigsby

The Giants are likely to pick up another running back in the draft. Could that be Tank Bigsby?

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Apr 7, 2023 8:00 AM EDT

In this story:

New York Giants

Auburn Tigers

Tank Bigsby, RB

Height: 6-foot
Weight: 210 lbs.
Class: Junior
School: Auburn
Age: 21 (08/0801)

Combine Measurements

Arm length: 32”
Hand size: 9 ½”
40-yard-dash: 4.56
10-yard-split: 1.54
Vertical jump: 32.5”
Broad jump: 9’11”
Bench press: 21 reps

A former four-star recruit out of Callaway High School in Hogansville, Georgia, where he was the fourth running back and the 6th recruit out of Georgia during the 2020 recruiting cycle. His birth name is Cartavious, but he goes by Tank. Rushed for 1,636 yards and 27 touchdowns during his senior season at Callaway. Bigsby stepped onto Auburn’s campus and had an immediate impact on the Tigers.

Notables

Bigsby was productive during all three seasons at Auburn, and his impact was immediate. He was a second-team All-SEC selection during the COVID-19 shortened season, where he was honored as the SEC Freshman of the Year. [STATS]

Bigsby didn’t disappoint after his impressive freshman year, and his receiving profile expanded over the next two seasons at Auburn. He was also a kick returner in 2020, averaging 23.9 yards per return on 13 attempts. Bigsby had a lackluster combine that will likely slip him to day three, where he would make a perfectly fine complementary running back with starting upside.

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Strengths

Thick, strong upper body - runs low to the ground
Didn’t test like it, but a very good athlete with unique shiftiness in tight spaces
Excellent sudden change of direction and agility
Contorts his body well with good hip mobility and lower body-flexion
Impressive second gear and acceleration
Possesses solid breakaway speed - plays that appeared much faster than 4.56, albeit he’s not a true home-run hitter
Does a very good job forcing missed tackles in space
Does well to avoid backside pursuit defender on long runs
Does a good job varying his tempo
Solid slashing ability on horizontal runs - Miss State & Ole Miss games
Has solid feel on horizontal runs - better runner in space
Solid vision to recognize backside cut-back lanes
Has sufficient contact balance and physicality to run on the inside
Does an excellent job angling his body in space to run through arm tackle attempts
Sufficient receiver who operates adequately around the LOS
Solid goal line threat
Has three down upside
Good processing to identify blitzers and position himself advantageously
Pass protection improved in 2022 - can get grabby though
Can play in any scheme

Weaknesses

Lower body seems thin on tape
Inconsistent vision on the play side - needs to be more decisive
Too frequently ran into his blockers
I would like to see him extemporize more proficiently behind the LOS
Never had more than 31 yards in three matchups against Georgia’s defense
Struggled to adjust to passes away from his frame in the flat - drops against LSU, Miss St, and Mercer (2022)
Ran primarily out of the shotgun

However, a very impressive run vs. Ole Miss from Singleback Q3, 13:46, 50 yd touchdown

Summary

Tank Bigsby is a balanced running back with impressive start/start ability, change of direction, and burst to hit his second gear. He possesses the upside to be a true three-down back at the next level, but concerns surround his inconsistent production and lack of vision. Bigsby too often bounced off the backs of his blockers and struggled to consistently notice the defensive flow to the play side.

He can operate as a receiver, and he’s shown growth and understanding in pass protection that should, at least, give teams the impression that he can be successful in that area.

Bigsby’s good games mesmerize (Ole Miss, Miss State, Texas A&M), but he also falls off a cliff against some of the more dominant programs. He’ll make for a solid complementary piece for a running back rotation, with starting upside if anything ever happens to other backs on the team.

GRADE: 6.10