The Jacksonville Jaguars had big plans when they drafted Tank Bigsby in 2023. And those plans haven't changed.
Bigsby, the No. 88 pick in last year's draft, didn't have a featured role as a rookie. After opening the season as the No. 2 running back, Bigsby ran into unlucky turnover issues early on and eventually fell into the No. 3 role behind D'Ernest Johnson.
Bigsby's rookie season ended with just 132 yards rushing (2.6 yards per rush) and two touchdowns, including just 15 carries in the last seven games of the season. But moving forward, he could be expected to see his role behind Travis Etienne change.
“D’Ernest Johnson got hurt a little bit in there, and then Tank [Bigsby] was a rookie and learning and coming on. We really like Tank and he’ll have a bigger impact for us this year," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson told NBC Sport's Matthew Berry this week at the NFL Scouting Combine.
With Bigsby on the sidelines as a rookie, Etienne finished third in the NFL with 325 touches -- 70 more than the year previously. That clearly isn't what the Jaguars want to repeat in 2024, which will mean more touches and play-time for Bigsby.
It’s not the recipe, necessarily, to put Travis in that situation. So I would consider knocking a few of those reps down to keep him healthy throughout the course of the year," Pederson said.
Whether Bigsby can take over the No. 2 role will depend on two things: what he does with his opportunities when on the field, and how else the Jaguars invest in the running back position. As things stand today, Bigsby and Etienne are the only running backs on the Jaguars' roster, which means there will be new blood added this offseason one way or another.
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