The New York Giants knew they might have found a gem in Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Tracy had an interesting college career, starting as a wide receiver at Iowa before transferring to Purdue and switching to running back.
As a result, Tracy, who turns 25 later this month, has plenty of experience at the college level and is more mature than most freshmen. He's broken through, so to speak, and leads all NFL rookies in rushing with 545 yards.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. jumps to the top of the rookie rushing leaderboard 🏃♂️💨
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB)
Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown spoke about Tracy on The Athletic's podcast. The playcallersrecently and how the team reviewed it from every possible angle.
“We knew that by the time we were able to acquire him there would be a good return on investment because the market would discount him as an older player with a limited resume,” Brown said.
This limited resume, combined with the Giants' intense observation of Tracy, allowed him to go to the fifth round, where Big Blue selected him with the 166th overall pick.
The record for most yards by a Giants rookie is 1,307 by Saquon Barkley (2018). It's unlikely Tracy will make it with seven games to go, but anything is possible.
Tracy's recent blunder, which cost the Giants a potential win against the Carolina Panthers in Munich, won't stop them from using him on offense. They know what they have.
