Jaguars 2023 NFL Draft: Instant reaction to Tank Bigsby pick in Round 3

The Jacksonville Jaguars got rave reviews for the selection of Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft. However, they've got some flak for the two picks they've made on Day 2. First, they took Penn State Brenton "Stephen" Strange at No. 61 and later running back Tank Bigsby with the 88th overall choice in the third round.

Despite the fact that edge rusher and cornerback remain on the Jags' list of needs, they opted to bolster their running back group with Bigsby. A five-year prospect out of high school, the Georgia native was a multi-sport athlete that earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors at Auburn.

One thing that stands out about Bigsby is that he will keep going after making contact. While he isn't the second coming of legendary running back Earl Campbell, he'll keep moving his feet and churn out yards if opposing defenses can't bring him down.

Bigsby's got outstanding lower-body strength and short-area burst to change directions. Moreover, he doesn't have to come out of the field in passing downs, as he's developed into a fine blocker. On the other hand, he must do a better job of reading the field and become a more decisive runner when hitting running alleys.

Bigbsy doesn't offer much as a receiver out of the backfield but can carry a big workload, which is why Damian Parson of The Draft Network thinks he'll have a similar career arc to those of Dalvin Cook or Kenneth Walker III, "neither are high-volume receiving backs but are talented runners".

Did the Jacksonville Jaguars get it right with RB Tank Bigsby in the 2023 NFL Draft?

It's hard to tell but it wasn't certainly a popular pick. The fact that the Jags signed D'Ernest Johnson in free agency and also brought back JaMycal Hasty on a two-year deal makes this feel like an unnecessary luxury.

To make matters worse, the team's brass passed on the chance to round out their cornerback group or upgrade their pass rush even though they had several chances. Moreover, they have several seventh-round picks and they could have used a few of them to engineer a few trades but they instead opted to address a position of need.

With Travis Etienne firmly entrenched as the starter, Bigsby might get into a three-way battle for the No. 2 running back spot on the depth chart. When you take into account that there are currently five running backs on the roster, sophomore Snoop Conner might be on borrowed time.

Conner was a fifth-round pick last year but was a healthy scratch for early in the regular season. Based on all the moves the Jaguars' brass has made at running back this offseason, it doesn't look like they're high on him. In fact, don't be surprised if they part ways with him in the upcoming months.

The bottom line is that Bigsby could turn out to be a great pick but it was rather puzzling to see the Jaguars opt not to address more pressing needs on Day 2 of the draft. It's possible that they will take a cornerback and a pass rusher in the upcoming rounds but it's hard to get hyped up about the choices they made in Rounds 2 and 3.