Jaguars’ Tank Bigsby Enters Crucial 3rd Year

The Jacksonville Jaguars are attempting to reinvent themselves as a franchise, trying to right the wrongs from the previous regime that caused them to lay an egg last season. Head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone are at the forefront of this journey and are looking to turn things around in Duval County.

However, there will be several players on the roster with plenty to prove ranging down to the ones at the end of their rookie deals, proving their worth, and playing with more consistency overall. That list is longer than some would like to admit. Yet, one player should stand out among the many.

Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2022 NFL Draft and emerged as the team’s workhorse tailback on a bad team in 2024. He’s the type of player you get excited about: shifty, elusive, and well-balanced with the ceiling to become a quality starter coming out of Auburn. Now, he enters a big third season with plenty more to prove.

Pro Football Focus graded Bigsby at a 74.6, 25th among 47 running backs graded last season. His 766 rushing yards led the team and offered some encouraging signs with his contact-balance, quickness, and footwork. However, there were times when he would disappear and his vision would become inconsistent in finding creases and working back against the grain.

When Travis Etienne returned from injury, Bigsby’s production slowed as he averaged just 43.8 yards per game in the final five contests of the regular season. At a time when he needed to prove himself to a potential new coach and general manager, his performances were not ideal.

Bigsby should be a clean-cut fit in Coen’s wide-zone blocking scheme, which will allow him to utilize his creativity to work into creases and accelerate for 10-plus yard runs. Coen turned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into a juggernaut rushing attack in his lone season with them and there is no reason he couldn’t do so with Bigsby potentially at the helm.

What makes this season crucial for Bigsby is his need to play with consistency to keep other players behind him off the field i.e. rookies Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen. If Bigsby continues on an upward trajectory, he could be the Jaguars top tailback quickly, leaving his future 2026 season up for interpretation. 

The former Auburn Tiger has an opportunity in front of him in which he must capitalize. If not, Tuten and Allen could quickly take over as Jacksonville’s next new running back tandem.

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