The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Tank Bigsby in 2023 thinking he could form a dynamic tandem alongside Travis Etienne. However, things didn’t go that way, at least not in his rookie season. The former Auburn Tiger struggled to transition to the NFL and was largely irrelevant last year. Thankfully, he’s starting to turn things around, and his promising play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is proof of that.
Bigsby had a productive training camp and put on an encouraging performance in the season opener, carrying the ball three times for 29 yards. With Travis Etienne sitting out the game against the Buccaneers, the sophomore running back made the most of his opportunities, completing 10 carries for 37 yards.
At first glance, this performance isn’t exactly eye-catching. However, it looks a lot better when you consider that Bigsby ran hard and tried to gain as many extra yards as possible. When you add in the fact that he had three catches for 19 yards, his performance looks a lot better.
As a rookie, Bigsby made several puzzling mistakes, some of which even resulted in turnovers. His 3.8 yards per carry average didn’t help matters. In the second half of the season, he was dropped in favor of fellow running back D’Ernest Johnson. But despite his struggles, the Jaguars’ leadership didn’t lose faith in him. In fact, head coach Doug Pederson said he expected the Georgia native to play a bigger role in the offense in year two.
For his part, offensive coordinator Press Taylor believes they may have mishandled Bigsby’s rookie season, noting they should have given him more playing time. But as disappointing as he was last year, the running back looks like a different player in 2024.
Bigsby didn’t stand out much in the offseason, but he had several great runs in training camp. Based on his play in the offseason, it’s fair to say he’s regained his confidence.
Travis Etienne is the undisputed starter, but Jaguars management has stated on multiple occasions that they want to lighten his workload. Last year, he accounted for 75 percent of the team’s runs. If Bigsby makes a leap forward as expected, that number may be significantly lower in 2024.
By including Bigsby, Etienne can stay fresh throughout the game. He can also help wear down opposing defenses and take some of the pressure off Trevor Lawrence. Last year, the Jaguars’ running game was nonexistent, so teams didn’t have to crowd the box to defend it. With an improved Bigsby and Etienne as a dynamic running back duo, things could be different.
It’s also worth noting that the Jaguars have been trying to bolster the offensive line this offseason, and if their moves pay off, Bigsby and Etienne will have no trouble making long runs in 2024.
The bottom line is that Tank Bigsby didn’t do much in his rookie season, but he’s one step closer to justifying the Jacksonville Jaguars’ decision to draft him in the third round last year.
