Auburn has a long history of producing NFL running backs — from Bo Jackson to Ronnie Brown, Cadillac Williams to Stephen Davis, and the more than two dozen others who have been drafted over the years.

Next week, another one will join those ranks when Tank Bigsby hears his name called in this year’s NFL Draft. Bigsby is set to become the fourth Auburn running back selected in the NFL Draft in the last 10 years and the first since Kerryon Johnson was picked by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2018 draft.

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Tank Bigsby believes he’s the best running back in the 2023 draft class

Ahead of next week’s NFL Draft, former Auburn offensive lineman and current ESPN/SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic sat down with AL.com to provide insight on each of the Tigers’ top draft prospects. In the video embedded at the top of this story, Cubelic breaks down Bigsby’s game — his strengths and his weaknesses — and how he believes the running back’s skillset projects to the next level.

The 5-foot-11, 215-pound Bigsby declared for this year’s draft after three seasons as the Tigers’ lead running back, rushing for 2,903 yards and 25 touchdowns while finishing seventh all-time in career rushing yards in program history. The former four-star recruit out of Atlanta posted 13 career 100-yard games during his time at Auburn. He earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors during the pandemic-impacted 2020 season, then followed it up with 1,099 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore, when he became the program’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Johnson in 2017.

Bigsby capped his career with 970 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, when he led the team in rushing for the third consecutive year and exhibited some more of the explosiveness he showcased during his freshman campaign but lacked at times as a sophomore.

The 2023 NFL Draft kicks off in Kansas City next Thursday, April 27, with the first round completed on Day 1. Rounds 2 and 3 are scheduled for Day 2, with the remaining four rounds taking place that Saturday.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.