The New York Giants selected Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. in the fifth round (166th overall) of the 2024 NFL draft in hopes of partially backfilling the loss of Saquon Barkley in free agency.
No one could expect the rookie to actually replace Barkley but the Giants did get their money’s worth out of Tracy, who finished his first season with a team-leading 839 rushing yards on 192 carries (a 4.4 average) and had five rushing touchdowns.
A former wide receiver at Iowa, Tracy also had 38 receptions for 284 yards (a 7.5 average) and another touchdown.
Tracy’s 839 rushing yards were the second-most by a Giants rookie in franchise history and the third-most among all NFL rookies last season. In addition, Tracy combined for 1,123 yards from scrimmage — the fourth-most by a Giants rookie in franchise history and the sixth-most among all NFL rookies in 2024.
Tracy isn’t content with those numbers. This offseason, he has been working with footwork/movement specialist J. Hicks, another Purdue alum.
Tracy will enter the regular season as the team’s starting back, but there is reason to believe the Giants will add to the position in the 2025 NFL draft.
However, given what we saw in 2024, Tracy is likely to put up big numbers, especially if the offensive line can remain healthy.
