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5 most disappointing Jacksonville Jaguars players from the 2023 season

• The Jaguars underachieved in 2023. Some of that falls on coaching. Some of it on execution, but this five players without a doubt didn't meet expectations.

By Carlos Sanchez

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4) runs the ball against the Tennessee Titans during
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4) runs the ball against the Tennessee Titans during / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA
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4. Tank Bigsby, running back

Travis Etienne was firmly entrenched as RB1 on the depth chart after totaling 1,441 yards from scrimmage in 2022. Behind him, the Jaguars had JaMycal Hasty and Snoop Conner, so their running back room seemed complete. However, they didn't pass up the chance to take Tank Bigsby in the third round of last year's draft. The move made sense on paper.

Bigbsy was the kind of downhill bruiser that could spell Etienne from time to time and improve their red zone efficiency. Unfortunately, that's not the way things played out in his rookie season. Right off the bat, he got off to the wrong foot. In the opener, he couldn't reel in a pass that ended in the hands of cornerback Tony Brown for an interception. Later in the same game, the former Auburn Tiger picked off a live football unaware that the whistle hadn't been blown.

Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner took advantage of the confusion and took the ball off Bigsby's hand for a walk-on touchdown. That was just the start of a year Bigsby would surely like to forget. In the loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Trevor Lawrence threw him a pass before being sacked. Bigsby tried to secure it but it ended up in the hands of safety Talanoa Hufanga. Granted, Lawrence should've taken the sack, but Bigsby also deserves blame for not being aware of his surroundings.

By Week 12, Bigsby was phased out in favor of D'Ernest Johnson and relegated to special teams. In that game, he was flagged for offsides on special teams. While it wasn't as costly as other mistakes, it showed that he was struggling with the adjustment to the NFL. Not surprisingly, offensive coordinator Press Taylor said that their confidence in him hadn't wavered.

In the end, Bigsby totaled 50 carries for 132 yards with two touchdowns in 2023. The Jaguars just fired running backs coach Bernie Parmalee. Maybe Bigsby will shine under whoever takes Parmalee's place, but it's fair to say that his career isn't off to a good start.

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