Giants’ best rookie sleeper to make impact in 2024 NFL season

Tyrone Tracy took a circuitous path to get where he is now. He played six seasons of college football, including four at the University of Iowa where he began as a wide receiver. But, after limited playing time with the Hawkeyes and an archaic pass scheme neutered his production, Tracy entered the transfer portal. He stayed in the Big Ten West division and found a new home with the Purdue Boilermakers.

With Purdue, Tracy made the transition to running back. He split playing time with Devin Mockobee in the Boilermakers’ backfield but thrived in his limited opportunities there. Tracy averaged roughly 6.6 yards per carry in his two seasons at West Lafayette. On top of that, he routinely manufactured big plays. Tracy posted a 23.1% explosive play rate in 2023, which ranked first among all running backs in this year’s draft class according to PFF.

Tracy’s ability to make defenders helps him out in this regard. He averaged 4.44 yards after contact this season, which also was first among running backs in the 2024 class. He’s a tackle-breaking machine which allows him to gain extra yards that not every back can manufacture on their own.

The Giants need someone who can create yards on their own. Their offensive line ranked 31st in the league in run block win rate last season, via ESPN.com. That Tracy can do that at his size (5-foot-11 210 pounds) should help him find a role with this team sooner than later.

Giants lackluster depth chart

Not only does Tracy have enough game to make some noise on the field, but his path playing time isn’t very robust either. Devin Singletary is expected to be the Giants’ starter out of the backfield after signing a three-year $16.5 million deal this offseason. It was a sensical signing for New York considering Singletary’s history with Brian Daboll back at Buffalo. But, Singletary has never been a workhorse back. The 216 carries he registered last year was the most in a single season in his career.

After him however, is a bit of a wasteland. Eric Gray was a sixth-round pick last year but handled just 17 carries as a rookie, which he turned into 48 yards. Gary Brightwell is another former sixth-rounder who mostly takes care of special teams duties.

Leaping over this group of backs is not a daunting task at all. It’s entire possible that Tracy carves out a role for himself right away and that he plays well while doing so. He’s proven to be an efficiency machine in college and has the size and speed combination to carry that over into the pros.

Tracy should find his way onto the field for the Giants this season in some capacity. From there, through stellar play or injury, he could thrust into an even bigger role. Tracy looks the part of a sleeper. How he performs in training camp and preseason will determine if he can live up that status.