Despite a grim season from the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024, Tank Bigsby accomplished one of the greatest redemption arcs in franchise history. The former Auburn Tigers’ running back had high expectations after he was selected with the 88th overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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The Jaguars staff planned to pair Bigsby with Travis Etienne to create one of the league’s best young committees. After his tough rookie season, many had their doubts, and rightfully so.
After a pair of unfortunate injuries (Shoulder, Hamstring) to Etienne, Bigsby got his first real shot to prove himself as the bell cow. Against the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots, Bigsby put the team on his back, accumulating 219 yards and four touchdowns on 39 carries.
From then on, the Jaguars’ backfield was split between the two. Not only that, just about every metric available states that Bigsby outperformed his adversary. Quite frankly, it wasn’t close, according to Pro Football Focus metrics.
Bigsby outpaced Etienne, collecting 766 yards and seven touchdowns compared to Etienne’s 558 yards and two scores. The yards per attempt were even more drastic as Bigsby averaged 4.6 yards to Etienne’s mere 3.7 a carry.
Keep in mind, Bigsby’s numbers are despite the Jaguars’ putrid run-blocking. The Jags ranked dead last in yards before contact at just 0.9 yards, according to NextGenStats.
When looking at Bigsby’s numbers compared to Etienne’s in metrics that are independent of offensive line play, the difference was even more drastic.
Among 31 NFL running backs with at least 150 carries, Bigsby ranked second in yards after contact per attempt (3.74), fourth in missed tackle percentage (27.4%), and eighth in percentage carries of 15 yards or more (31.6%).
Bigsby wasn’t just good, he was elite. When it comes to creating yards for himself, he played as well as any back in the NFL last season. It’s disappointing it was behind such a tragic offensive line.
Etienne’s numbers, on the other hand, aren’t looked upon as favorably. Among those same 31 backs, Etienne slotted in at 30th in yards after contact per attempt (2.48), 30th in missed tackle percentage (11.4%), and 25th in percentage carries of 15 yards or more (19.0%).
The rushing attack certainly struggled as a whole, especially after Trevor Lawrence’s injury, however, it was clear Bigsby had been the better runner between the two in 2024. That said, Etienne does have a leg up on Bigsby.
Bigsby simply didn’t see the field on third downs. The Jaguars’ 2024 staff just failed to show much faith in Bigsby as a receiver or as a pass-protector. Etienne caught 39 balls to Bigsby’s seven on the season, a vast and notable distinction between the two
Especially in a Liam Coen offense, the running backs will be targeted often as Coen’s Bucs saw the 4th most targets (21%) to running backs of any team last season. It will be intriguing to see how Coen plans to utilize these two backs this season.
If anyone can get Bigsby to develop as a pass-protector and in the passing game, it’s Liam Coen. If he can do that, this Jaguars offense just became that much more dangerous.
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