The New York Giants added depth to their backfield in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, selecting Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy with the No. 166 overall pick. Tracy will enter the Giants’ post-Saquon Barkley backfield along with Devin Singletary as New York aims to form a running back by committee.
Giants select Purdue RB Tyrone Tracy in Round 5
Tracy is an athletic rusher who ran a 4.48s 40-yard dash at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. The 5-foot-11, 209-pound running back posted a 9.78 relative athletic score (RAS) which ranked 42 out of 1,903 running backs from 1987 to 2024.
In 2023, rushed for 716 yards and eight touchdowns. Tracy’s 90.5 Pro Football Focus rushing grade in 2023 ranked third among Big Ten running backs. He posted a career PFF Elusive Rating of 133.80 which ranked 10th among running backs drafted since 2018 in Round 5 or earlier. Tracy forced 46 missed tackles in 2023.
Tracy is a former wide receiver turned running back who offers a lot of high-upside potential at the NFL level. According to PFF, his 23.1% explosive run rate is the best in this year’s class and 97th percentile among all prospects since 2018. Tracy is also tied with the best running backs in the PFF college era in missed tackles forced per attempt (0.39)
The 25-year-old draft pick has a small sample size of plays in the backfield, having converted to running back in his fifth collegiate season. He took only 146 total carries in his collegiate career.
Tracy could be part of a committee with Devin Singletary
Because of his background playing wide receiver, Tracy can bring a new element to the Giants’ backfield. Their new projected starting running back, Devin Singletary, who they signed this offseason, is more of a ground-and-pounder than a scat back. But Tracy could be a valuable weapon on third down and receiving situations out of the backfield.
The Giants seem to be planning on taking a running-back-by-committee approach next season. Each back will play a specific role and Tracy’s role could be valuable as a home-run-hitting scat back with plenty of receiving and tackle-breaking ability.
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