Giants Draft Purdue RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. in Fifth Round

The New York Giants added another offensive skill player in the fifth round.

Nov 18, 2023; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Purdue Boilermakers running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (3) / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

With their fifth round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. with the 166th overall choice. The pick used to obtain Tracy was originally owned by San Francisco and was sent to the Giants from Carolina in the Brian Burns exchange.

Tracy, a converted receiver, put up 716 rushing yards and eight scores on the ground during his final year as a Boilermaker. He is the 13th rusher chosen in 2024 and the ninth during Saturday's proceedings. Big Blue has now used a Saturday pick on a running back in three of the last four seasons, as Tracy joins Gary Brightwell and Eric Gray in the rushing room.

The Giants' sixth and currently final pick lands in the sixth round at 183rd overall.

The Skinny

Like previous pick Theo Johnson, there's a chance for Tracy to contribute immediately in the wake of Saquon Barkley's defection to Philadelphia. Tracy's explosiveness and athleticism should give him an early edge in the race to serve as Devin Singletary's spell option.

Further familiarizing himself with the running back spot will be one of the intriguing subplots of training camp and his worth on special teams (pairing six tackles with a kick return touchdown) should offer him even greater opportunities, especially with the new kickoff system making its way to NFL stadiums this fall.

Tyrone Tracy of Purdue at the East-West Shrine Game / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Scouting Report

"Tracy was a full-time running back for only one year but had exciting flashes all over his tape. He’s a bendy, rhythmic runner who sees and traverses the interior run lanes like he built the maze. He creates additional yardage with a blend of elusiveness, power, and a willful desire to maximize each run, but he will need to curb his eagerness to bounce runs wide when it’s time to finish and move to the next snap."

"While he’s still honing his skills as a runner, his ability to handle gadget runs and threaten linebackers out of the backfield could get him on the field early on. Tracy will be an older rookie, but his versatility and burgeoning talent as a complementary runner should open evaluators’ eyes to what he could become as a pro."-Lance Zierlein

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