How the Giants 2024 Fifth-Round Pick Is the Most Overlooked Entering the 2026 Season
The New York Football Giants have had a lot of expectations after this offseason. With the arrival of multiple new players and the addition of key tight end Isaiah Likely, some players have been pushed to the side. They're still key pieces in New York, but they haven't been making headlines in OTAs. They have been working on their skills and trying to improve before the Mandatory mini camps. In the midst of this, the Giants’ running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. has gone quiet in New York.
Tracy is a 2024 fifth-round draft pick. The 26-year-old came out of Purdue University and was already making strides when the Giants drafted him. At five-foot-11 and 209 pounds, he is one of the bigger guys on the team. The Giants really liked how the Indiana native played as a running back and love how he can cover both on the team if need be. However, Tracy has gone quiet after being with the team for well over two years.
The former Purdue Boilermaker enters the 2026 season as one of the most overlooked players in New York, despite proving last season that he can be a useful weapon. The backup running back stepped in when Cam Skattebo went out for the season with his ankle injury. This 166th overall pick is proving quietly that this could be his biggest season yet. Many have focused on the newcomers and rookies, which has allowed him to be part of the rebuild to improve the team.
This five-foot-11 running back brings a unique set of skills to the team. Apart from being an explosive player when the ball comes his way, Tracy accelerates quickly and can turn small chunks of yardage into big plays. The New York running back is also naturally comfortable with catching the ball. Tracy can also be quick to find the better routes that are needed to get the ball moving down the field.
The 2024 fifth-round pick also had a lot of vision and patience on the field, an area the Giants have struggled with for a while. The former Iowa Hawkeye doesn't just find the first open hole; he is also willing to let blocks develop and look for small cutback lanes before accelerating. Once that space is found, the Giants' running back is a tough guy to bring down. His background shows he is comfortable in the open field, where he forces opposing offenses to miss.
The best trait that Tracy also carries is versatility. The 209-pound running back is great at running the ball and serving as a change-of-pace weapon. The Purdue University graduate knows how to change things up real quick on the field. Many of the defenses that he deals with have a hard time trying to figure him out. Most of the time, they have to work with the running back differently than they would with a traditional running back.
There are definitely still areas of improvement that Tracy needs to address. The biggest area is ball security. Fumbling the ball has been one of the bigger issues for number 29 since joining the Giants. He also needs to work on pass protection, which will allow the American running back to get the ball into his hands much quicker than planned. These are some of the reasons he hasn’t been viewed as a starting running back yet.
However, if the backup can work through those areas, John Harbaugh definitely has another running back that he can work with. Tracy has gone quiet, but if he can make it work this season, many fans may see him in a better light. The former wide receiver can pull off everything that he needs to do, but he just has to put the time in during the offseason. If he does, there will definitely be fans and analysts picking up on the explosive season that he is going to have.
