Tyrone Tracy Jr. Is Indispensable to the Giants' Offense

The New York Giants added former Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy, Jr., in the fifth round of the 2024 draft after losing running back Saquon Barkley the month before to free agency.

Tracy, voted as our seventh most indispensable player on the Giants' 2026 roster, might not have posted a 1,000-yard rushing season in his two completed NFL campaigns, but like Barkley and receiver Odell Beckham Jr, Tracy has recorded 1,000 scrimmage yards in his first two seasons.

Tracy initially began his NFL career behind veteran Devin Singletary, but by mid-October, he emerged as the team's RB1 after Singletary missed a couple of games due to injury. Tracy averaged 4.4 yards per carry and scored five rushing touchdowns as a rookie.

Tracy's career path has rarely been linear, however. He played wide receiver for Iowa before becoming a running back at Purdue during his final two years of college.

Despite some rockiness with ball security, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound Tracy finished his rookie campaign with 1,123 scrimmage yards, the first of two 1,000+ scrimmage yards showing in his two completed NFL seasons.

That year, Tracy also posted three 100+ rushing performances in games, including a career high 145 yards on 20 carries in a Week 8 loss to Pittsburgh.

In 2025, the Giants added Cam Skattebo in the fourth round. Skattebo eventually became the lead running back when Tracy had to miss two games due to a shoulder issue, an arrangement that stayed in place until Skattebo suffered a season-ending ankle injury.

Tracy then stepped right up to accept a larger role in the running game. Although he saw 16 fewer carries and posted 99 fewer yards in Year 2–and had just one 100-yard rushing game, that coming in the regular-season finale–he cleaned up the ball security issues and posted his second straight season with 1,000+ scrimmage yards.

This coming season, Tracy and Skattebo figure to be more of a tandem, Tracy the “lightning” to Skattebo’s “thunder” in the team’s power-rushing game.

In addition to fixing his ball security problem, he also lowered his drop rate from 13.6 percent to 5.3 percent.

The 26-year-old continues to learn from his early struggles and make the necessary adjustments to become a better football player.

Tracy did not fill up the stat sheet with gaudy numbers, but he was efficient and consistent during the second half of the campaign.

He recorded 563 of his 740 rushing yards in the final eight games of the season. When he gets going, he causes trouble for opposing defenses.

While there are flashier players on this roster, Tracy's productivity is indisputable. He contributed to a rushing offense that ranked fifth in the league (129.1 rushing yards per game).

A strong rushing game should lessen the need to have quarterback Jaxson Dart contribute as heavily to the running game as he did last season. Tracy might not be a premier running back yet, but his skillset is a good match for the type of rushing offense the Giants are looking to run.

He can accelerate in space and aid the passing attack. And do not dismiss his grit or toughness. Tracy is dependable and will be a big part of the Giants' offense this coming season.

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