Why Tyrone Tracy Jr. is the NY Giants' Most Underappreciated Weapon

Running back Tyrone Tracy Jr doesn’t get enough love from New York Giants fans, and in the opinion of NFL.com writer Tom Blair, that really needs to improve.

Tracy was Blair’s pick for the Giants’ most underappreciated player ahead of the 2026 season, noting that while Giants fans went “gaga” over rookie Cam Skattebo and his larger-than-life personality last year until a season-ending ankle injury put him on the shelf, Tracy deserves a little bit more love than what he’s gotten so far.

The primary argument in support of Tracy’s worthiness of more appreciation has been his production.

As Blair noted, the former Purdue star generated 1,000+ yards from scrimmage, making him the first Giants player to accomplish that since Saquon Barkley did so in his first two NFL seasons (2018 and 2019).

Tracy also became just the fifth overall Giants player to accomplish that same feat since 2010.

What the Advanced Metrics Say

Jan 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

There was a period last year when it seemed that Skattebo, a fourth-round pick in 2025, passed Tracy, a fifth-round pick from 2024, on the depth chart.

Skattebo finished his injury-shortened season with 410 rushing yards on 101 carries (4.1 avg.), and was one of the team’s go-to on third down conversion attempts, where he had a 42.9% conversion rate while also posting a team-best 3.04 yards after contact average.

Tracy, however, was no slouch in any of those areas despite having lower numbers than his teammate.

Where he topped Skattebo was in average yards before contact (1.81 to Skattebo’s 1.02). He also had the team’s longest rush of the season (31 yards) among the running backs.

Carrying the Offensive Weight

Production aside, it’s not as though the Giants are going with the bellcow approach at running back.

Tracy, a converted college receiver who hasn’t quite found his groove in that aspect of the pro game–his 6.2 yards per reception was the lowest of the Giants’ three running backs last year (Skattebo and Devin Singletary)--was still a valuable contributor in the Giants' offense.

Tracy contributed 33.7% of the team’s rushing yards and 14.3% of the team’s all-purpose yards (kickoff return yards included).

That’s no small contribution from a guy who some were ready to bury on the depth chart, given his non-descript playing style.

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