Auburn's Tank Bigsby believes he's 'the best' running back in the NFL Draft

Auburn’s Tank Bigsby believes he’s ‘the best’ running back in the NFL Draft

Tank Bigsby isn’t short on confidence as he prepares to take the stage inside Lucas Oil Stadium this weekend at the NFL Combine.

The former Auburn star is one of 26 running backs in Indianapolis this week for the NFL’s annual scouting event, and while some draft analysts have Bigsby as a top-five or so player at his position and a potential third-round pick, the former SEC standout believes he stacks up more favorably to the rest of the class.

“To be honest with you, I feel like I do everything,” Bigsby said Saturday morning. “I feel like I’m the best, if you ask me.”

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Bigsby will have a chance to try to sway the opinions of analysts and NFL personnel alike when he takes the field Sunday for workouts and position drills. The 6-foot, 213-pounder is eager to show he’s an all-around running back worthy of an early pick in next month’s NFL Draft.

Two areas he’s particularly looking forward to showcasing on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium are his 40-yard time and his ability as a pass-catcher. When asked how he thinks he’ll fare in the 40, Bigsby confidently said he expects to post a top-three or top-five time among the running backs in Indianapolis this week—a group that includes former Texas star Bijan Robinson, Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs, UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet and Texas A&M’s Devon Achane, among others.

“There’s a lot of things guys question about me, the ability they don’t know, but I can’t wait until tomorrow to show everyone and have fun out there, just let everything out,” Bigsby said.

While Bigsby wants to quiet any concerns about his straight-line speed, he seemed more eager to show what he can do as a route-runner and pass-catcher. It’s an aspect of his game he believes was underutilized during his three seasons at Auburn, when he had just 62 catches for 448 yards and no touchdowns.

“I didn’t really get to run routes at Auburn, but I will show a lot of guys tomorrow that I could run routes and catch the ball,” Bigsby said. “I feel like that’s where they’re saying I can’t catch the ball and I can’t run routes and stuff like that.”

A former four-star recruit who signed with Auburn in 2020, Bigsby was the Tigers’ top running back during each of his three seasons on the Plains. He had 834 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 6 yards per carry as a freshman, when he was named the SEC Freshman of the Year during the pandemic-impacted 2020 season. His numbers took a step back as a sophomore, when he averaged just 4.9 yards per carry but became Auburn’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Kerryon Johnson in 2017, finishing with 1,099 yards and 10 scores. His junior year provided a bit of a bounceback, as he averaged 5.4 yards per carry and ran for 970 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Bigsby, who said he admires and tries to study Minnesota running back Dalvin Cook’s style and skillset, managed those numbers despite playing behind an offensive line that has had its share of struggles over the years. Now he wants to prove what he can do at the next level and demonstrate to teams this week why they should invest an early-round pick on him.

“I want to be known as Tank,” Bigsby said. “I want to be known as me. I want to be known as one of the greatest when I’m done. I want to do things guys never did and work my butt off until I get there.”

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