Early 2023 NFL Draft Running Back Rankings: Familiar Face At 1

3. Tank Bigsby, Auburn

Cartavious “Tank” Bigsby will be a junior in 2022 for the Auburn Tigers. He stands at 6’0” and 208 pounds and ran for 1,099 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Tigers last season. Bigsby built upon a successful freshman season by increasing his carries, rushing yards, receiving yards, and yards per catch averages as a sophomore last year. Despite his nickname, Tank Bigsby isn’t a pure power back, as he’s just as likely to try and bounce a run to the outside or utilize a one-step juke move than he is to run straight through defenders.

Bigsby is by no means averse to contact though. He runs with a forward lean and often pushes forward through contact. He keeps a nice low center of gravity on interior runs, and this allows him to break tackles or fall forward when contacted. These skills are especially evident on short yardage runs and near the goal line. Tank Bigsby runs hard, and with attitude, frequently refusing to go down even after he’s broken multiple tackles and defenders are hanging on him. He seems to have a passion for the game that you can’t teach.

Bigsby averaged 4.9 yards per carry last year (down from 6.0 the year before), but that might have been due to Bo Nix’s inconsistent quarterback play. Teams weren’t worried about Nix beating them and they’d repeatedly load up the box to minimize Tank Bigsby’s effectiveness. Bo Nix has since transferred to Oregon. Auburn’s starter at QB this year will likely be either TJ Finley or Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada.

If either of them can threaten opposing defenses through the air more than Nix could, Tank Bigsby could potentially have a big year. If Bigsby improves his per carry average and catches 25 or more passes next year, he has a good chance to be a day two selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.