Late-round running back prospects have become a far more valuable commodity, with the market value changing drastically in today’s NFL compared to 20 years ago.
The move towards committee backfields with players having specific roles and an emphasis on rotating fresh ball carriers onto the field has helped open the door for multiple Day 3 prospects to make an immediate impact at the next level.
After successfully transitioning from wide receiver to running back in 2023, does the scouting report for Purdue’s Tyrone Tracy Jr. suggest he is a potential late-round steal with starting upside in the 2024 NFL Draft?
Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 5’11”
- Weight: 209
- Length: 31 3/4”
- Hand: 9 1/8”
- Position: Running Back
- School: Purdue
- Current Year: Senior
Tracy’s collegiate journey is fascinating, considering that he spent six years in college, spending most of his time playing another position. He started his career at Iowa as a receiver and made an early impact during his redshirt freshman campaign in 2019, with 36 receptions for 589 yards and three receiving scores.
Yet, in that same season, Tracy foreshadowed his transition to the RB position with six carries for 39 yards and a score. Unfortunately, his next three seasons (two at Iowa and one at Purdue) saw him fail to top those receiving totals, which helped him finally take the risk and transition to running back ahead of the 2023 season.
After adding 15 pounds of muscle, Tracy looked the part of a difference-making running back with 716 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on just 113 carries in his final 11 games. This rushing production came with an additional 19 receptions for 132 yards, which suggests he can be a potential hybrid weapon in the right offensive system.
Tracy’s Scouting Report
Strengths
- Flashes high-level creativity and elusiveness as a ball carrier; Vision on the second level has Picasso-esque creativity; Sixth-sense type feel for over-eager defenders in pursuit; Loose and fluid hips aid with impressive jump cuts both in the trenches and the open field; Has a nice variety of moves in his arsenal.
- Added muscle ahead of the 2023 season helped his contact balance and play strength immensely; Slippery runner who can shed undisciplined tacklers who arrive at the attack point too high with core strength and keep body flowing while resetting his balance after contact; Runs with plus-level leverage as a ball carrier.
- Impressive lateral agility and acceleration in tight spaces; Ability to start, stop, change direction, and reaccelerate quickly after making sudden adjustments to the running path when defenders flash in front of him inside the trenches.
- Has some legit hitch in his giddy-up when he sticks his foot in the ground to burst downhill.
- Pass protection is a big plus; Scans effectively and takes on his assignment with disciplined aggression; Willing combatant who searches for work instead of idling or slipping into the flats prematurely.
- Plus-level contributor in the passing game for the position; Previous experience at WR gives him one of the highest ceilings of potential pass-catching contributions at the position in this class; Fluid pass catcher who is a capable route runner both out of the backfield or split out wide.
- Potential to be a regular contributor in the return game.
Weaknesses
- Inexperience at the position shows up concerning gap discipline and patience as a runner, which makes his reads fairly inconsistent; Much of this could improve with more reps in both zone and gap concepts after recently transitioning to the position, but he’s undoubtedly still a bit green with his ball-carrier vision in the trenches.
- Gets a bit too greedy with trying to hit home runs; Tendency to bounce runs outside of the intended destination if the hole doesn’t open early in the rep.
- Occasionally a bit too eager to get upfield and loses his balance with too much forward-leaning momentum.
- Late breakout and will turn 25 years old later this year, which could limit developmental upside past his rookie contract.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Tracy is a very intriguing Day 3 running back who checks a lot of boxes entering the NFL.
His ability to pass protect, create mismatches in the passing game as a receiver, and contribute in the return game already make him a candidate to make an NFL roster. Yet, combining that with his explosive athletic profile and impressive creativity as a runner could lead to a starter-level type ceiling at the next level.
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Tracy is still pretty raw regarding his vision, patience, and decision-making when trying to set up his blockers in zone-rushing schemes, which could take him off some team’s boards, considering his advanced age for a running back.
Even so, Tracy’s athletic profile and other ready-made skills could lead to a team believing in his upside as an early Day 3 selection prospect.
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