The New York Giants seem to have a pretty clear breakout candidate heading into next season.
The New York Giants are one of the most intriguing teams to monitor heading into the 2026 NFL campaign, as they have a new, established head coach in John Harbaugh, an exciting young quarterback in Jaxson Dart and talented young pieces all over the field on both sides of the ball.
That being said, the Giants are facing some pretty serious questions as they prepare for the new season, and perhaps one of the most pressing is at running back.
Cam Skattebo took the world by storm during the first half of his rookie campaign, but he suffered a devastating ankle injury in Week 8, knocking him out for the season and putting him on the long road to recovery.
Skattebo seems to have made terrific progress and is certainly in line to start Week 1, but considering his ankle was facing the other way eight months ago, it's fair to wonder if the bruising back will be the same.
Then, there is Tyrone Tracy, who flew under the radar in 2025 and actually had a pretty strong campaign. Tracy rushed for 740 yards and a couple of touchdowns while catching 36 passes for 288 yards and a pair of scores, and he was particularly effective when given the lead role following Skattebo's injury.
New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.But what should we expect from Tracy in 2026?
Well, the former fifth-round selection seems to be the consensus pick for the Giants' top breakout candidate going into the fall, and it's easy to understand why.
Harbaugh loves to run the football, so you can bet that even if Skattebo is 100 percent healthy, Tracy will be receiving plenty of playing time.
Remember: Tracy had a very impressive rookie year in 2024, as well, so he has already established a decent track record in New York.
The 26-year-old is a versatile weapon capable of both serving as a speedy, finesse runner and a very solid receiver out of the backfield, which shouldn't come as too much of a surprise due to the fact that he was a wide receiver at Iowa for four years before transferring to Purdue and switching to running back.
Tracy could serve as a very reliable outlet for Dart and screen passes and check downs, which will be very important in Dart's sophomore season.
He also represents a nice change-of-pace back with Skattebo and will help keep defenses off balance.
Tracy has finished with over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in each of his first two NFL seasons, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him have the most productive, efficient campaign of his career in 2026.
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