Tank Bigsby NFL Draft Scouting Report

RB, Auburn Tigers

Tank Bigsby was a top five-star running back recruit. Along with football, Bigsby lettered in track and field. He was a long jumper and sprinter in the 100-meter, 4×100-meter relay, and 400 meters. These explosive events translated to the football field. He has been an integral part of the Tigers’ rushing attack since his freshman season. Bigsby was named SEC Freshman of the Year and First-Team Freshman All-SEC at running back and all-purpose. He has a nose for the end zone with 25 rushing touchdowns through three seasons. 

Watching Bigsby on tape, one of the easiest things I noticed was how often he fell forward to finish runs. He is a tough north/south runner. His feet remain in constant movement. This allows him to maintain balance and drive through arm tackles. Bigsby showcases the vision necessary to find cut-back lanes and exchange gaps. Combined with his patience, Bigsby can give defenses issues when run fitting due to his ability to quickly change paths. I love the lower-body power and explosiveness that he generates with his cuts. Bigsby is a talented vertical and lateral/horizontal cutter in space. He can string together cuts to force multiple missed tackles on a single play. I love his processing on gap running concepts, Bigsby does a good job reading the defensive line leverage to adjust his path accordingly. His track background (11.15 100 meter) shows up once he breaks into the open field—he has the ability to break off 40 and 50-yard runs. I admire Bigsby’s improvement in pass protection—his technique was noticeable on tape. 

Bigsby’s lower body remains the target area for incoming defenders. Still, he remains susceptible to being cut or chopped down far too easily for my liking. Defenders do not want to hit him up high and prefer to attack his base. Auburn’s offensive play calling and quarterback limited his pass-catching out of the backfield. Bigsby did not get the opportunities in the passing game to give a clearer projection of his value on third downs. 

At times, Bigsby can be a little too patient and turn down open lanes. Continuing to improve his decisiveness will be important for him in the NFL, where running lanes can close quicker. 

Bigsby is a talented running back prospect. As a one-cut runner, he has the quick planting skills to work exclusively in zone schemes. That said, he has the vision, footwork, and processing skills to win as a between-the-tackles/gap scheme runner as well. At the moment, a team will find his success on running downs until teams are comfortable with throwing passes to him on third downs. I think an arc for Bigsby is similar to Dalvin Cook or Kenneth Walker III, neither are high-volume receiving backs but are talented runners.

Top Reasons to Buy In:

• Scheme versatility 
• Touchdown production
• NFL size/build

Top Reasons For Concern:

• Limited pass-catching experience
• Lacks the third gear/speed
• Consistency

Size (NFL Combine):

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 210 lbs

Arm Length: 32”

Hand Size: 9 1/2”

Athletic Testing (NFL Combine):

40-yard Dash: 4.56s

Vertical Jump: 32.5”

Broad Jump: 9′ 11”

Short-Shuttle: TBD

Three-Cone: TBD

Bench Reps: 21 reps

Ideal Role: Starting running back 

Scheme Fit: Scheme versatile, operates both gap and zone concepts

TDN Consensus Grade: 78.50/100 (Third-Round Value)

• Parson Grade: 78.50/100

Written By: Damian Parson

Exposures: Ole Miss (2022), Texas A&M (2022), Mississippi State (2022), Alabama (2022)

Tank Bigsby NFL Draft Scouting Report. Add him to your big board here.