One of the biggest storylines surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of the regular season is how their running back depth chart will look come Week 1. While there's a bit of time left before the opener, it looks like Tank Bigsby is in the front seat for the No. 1 in the Jags' backfield.
So far, Bigsby has gotten the biggest workload among running backs in training camp, and that may be a reflection of the team's confidence in him. Following the fourth day of practice, John Shipley of Sports Illustrated noted that the former Auburn Tiger appears to be the focal point in the backfield. On the other hand, Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten have also made an impression, with the former breaking off a run in a two-minute drill.
"Tank Bisgby once again looked like the focal point at running back, though Travis Etienne got extended run in a two-minute drill," Shipley wrote on his Day 4 observations. "Etienne was active as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, while Bhayshul Tuten looked like the clear No. 3 running back. Again, it is early, but that is what the practice Sunday showed."
A third-round pick in the 2023 draft, Bigsby was a non-factor as a rookie but showed notable improvement in his sophomore campaign, toting the rock 168 times for a team-best 766 rushing yards with seven touchdowns. The fact that he managed to come through despite the fact that the offensive line couldn't block makes his showing even more impressive.
Related: Mike Mularkey vs. Urban Meyer: Who was the worst coach in Jaguars history
Tank Bisgby is making a strong case to be RB1 for the Jaguars in 2025
What's notable about the number of reps Tank Bigsby is getting, at least early in training camp, is that a report surfaced after the 2024 NFL Draft that the Jacksonville Jaguars weren't particularly sold on him or teammate Travis Etienne. This, in turn, might've led him to choose Bhayshul Tuten in Round 4.
So far, though, Bigsby seemingly has an edge in the three-way battle for the RB1 job. With that said, either Etienne or Tuten could narrow down the gap in the upcoming weeks. After all, the former is a better pass-catcher out of the backfield and the latter has flashed at times in training camp.
Related: Remembering the day the Jaguars ruined the end of Dan Marino's NFL career
Jaguars OC Grant Udinski is so far pleased with Tank Bigsby
Tank Bigsby will need to keep making the most of his chance if he ultimately wants to finish ahead Travis Etiene and Bayshul Tuten on the depth chart. For the time being, though, Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski is pleased with the work the third-year running back has put in.
Udinski met with the local media after Day 4 of training camp and said that Bigsby's improvement in pass protection hasn't gone unnoticed.
"I think everyone knows that they have room for improvement. That's the exciting part about this group on offense, specifically, is that nobody has probably performed at maximum potential on a consistent basis," Udiski responded when it was pointed out that Bisgby appears to be leading the way in the running back battle (2:10 mark). "I think guys have hit that, glimpses of it here and there, but what we're working for is to get that on a consistent basis."
Udinski continued, "So seeing Tank in the run game, or even in the pass game in protection, see those improvements and trying to reach that level that he can perform on a down-in, down-out series, series-out basis is what we're working towards."
Again, there's plenty of time left before the Jaguars make a decision, but based on Grant Udinski's comments, Tank Bigsby has a favorable chance to be RB1 come the season opener.