2023 Dynasty Rookie Early Look: Tank Bigsby, RB Auburn

Tank Bigsby

Jeff Mueller Posted On January 12, 2023

The 2023 class is headlined with some stellar to rock-solid running back prospects. The one with the best name is none other than Tank Bigsby from Auburn. It was a joy to watch Bigsby throughout his college career, and although he slowed down a bit last season, this season he seemed to get back on track.

RECRUITMENT

Bigsby was rated as a four-star recruit coming out of Callaway High School. He was a Class AA Georgia Player of the Year finalist, finishing second as a junior. 247Sports had him as the 40th best prospect in the class.

Courtesy of 247Sports.

Bigsby had 34 offers coming out of high school before signing with Auburn. The scouting report on Bigsby stated that was entering the collegiate level with a thick lower body build, ready to step right into a sizeable college workload. He plays with good vision with improving top-end speed, testing as a good but not great athlete for the RB position. He shows the ability to manipulate defenders in the second level and break tackles, but can also get caught dancing and being indecisive as a rusher.

COLLEGIATE CAREER

Courtesy of Sports Reference.

Bigsby headlines the next tier of running backs who possibly have a chance at landing in rounds 2-3 of the NFL draft. He has the size as well as the rushing ability paired with receiving ability to be a three-down weapon at the next level.

STRENGTHS

Good patience with good vision in following his blocks
North/South runner, at his best when he’s attacking downfield
Shows good contact balance with the ability to break tackles and gain extra yards
Good decision-maker as a rusher, often picking his lanes wisely and bursting through the hole
Quick reaction times to incoming defenders with good agility to evade tackles

WEAKNESSES

Upright runner, losing the ability to power through tackles at times
Not an advanced route runner, will likely be more of a dump-off receiver than an RB moved into a receiver slot
Inconsistent production on a weekly basis throughout college, but seemed to make improvements in 2022

DRAFT VALUE

Courtesy of NFLMockDraftDatabase.

Bigsby has largely been mocked in the late 2nd or 3rd round of the NFL draft. There is a chance he falls even further if teams trust the talent of smaller but more talented running backs. With his inconsistencies, it would not be shocking if he fell in the draft.

Be sure to check out our 2023 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings

DYNASTY OUTLOOK

Bigsby has an awesome name, but he probably doesn’t fall inside the top tier of this 2023 running back class. He is well behind Bijan Robinson, as well as possibly behind Jahmyr Gibbs, Zach Evans, and Sean Tucker. Arguments can be made for several other running backs to go ahead of him in the draft too, including elite speedster Devon Achane. It all depends on the skillset that NFL teams are pursuing. You can see where he is currently ranked in our 2023 dynasty fantasy football rookie rankings here.

He has the quickness to evade defenders who blow up the line of scrimmage and get into the backfield though, which is valuable to any team out there who is looking for a running back who can turn a negative play into positive yardage. He also has surprising long-speed and his agility allows him to find open space to accelerate into. As we have seen with many running backs in the past, his pass protection certainly needs improvement. I know we do not get fantasy points for pass protection, but weakness here leads to the running back being replaced on third downs during potentially valuable touch opportunities where he could be used as a dump-off target for more PPR points. What also could limit how NFL teams view him is that, while a fairly good all-around player, he does not have any high-end elite traits like some of his classmates have, leaving the possibility for NFL teams to select another running back over Bigsby.

Depending on where Bigsby falls in the NFL draft, it wouldn’t be shocking if he fell into round 2 of fantasy rookie drafts. He is probably best projected to be a two-down rusher with minimal receiving usage at the next level, likely landing behind some high upside receiving options in fantasy drafts. He can certainly leave his mark as a rusher though, which still holds plenty of value, but as we know a reception is worth far more than a rushing attempt.