Could the Las Vegas Raiders reunite quarterback Aidan O’Connell with halfback Tyrone Tracy Jr. of Purdue?

The Las Vegas Raiders should add some youth to their running back room, and there are a number of quality options in this year’s NFL Draft.

Even if the Raiders decide to wait until Day 3 to take a running back, some of the top backs in the draft class will likely still be available.

One of those prospects could be former Purdue halfback Tyrone Tracy Jr., who made a huge leap in his final collegiate season.

Tracy finished his 2023 campaign with 716 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, 408 kick return yards, a kickoff returned for a touchdown and 132 receiving yards in 11 games (one start). His kick return total and 1,270 all-purpose yards both ranked second in the Big Ten. Tracy’s 6.3 yards per carry led the conference and set a school record for single-season rushing average.

As sixth-year senior, Tracy made the Associated Press All-Big Ten Second Team, was an All-Big Ten honorable mention by coaches and media and made the coaches All-Big Ten Third Team as a return specialist.

Pro Football Focus gave Tracy an overall grade of 87.5 for his 2023 season.

At this year’s NFL Combine, Tracy recorded a 40-yard-dash time of 4.48 seconds, a 10-yard split time of 1.53 seconds, a 40-inch vertical jump, a 10-feet-4-inch broad jump, a 6.81-second 3-cone drill time and a 4.06 10-yard shuttle time.

NFL Next Gen Stats gave Tracy an athleticism score of 86 for his Combine outing, a score that ranked fourth among all running backs. He also received a total score of 68 and a production score of 62.

Prior to his final collegiate season, Tracy primarily played wide receiver. In his fifth-year senior season, he posted just 138 rushing yards and 198 receiving yards in 14 games (five starts). That was his first season with the program, as Tracy had transferred to Purdue from Iowa, where he played four seasons.

After playing just four games in his freshman season, Tracy would make eight starts for the Hawkeyes in his second season, playing in all 13 games. He then made four starts in eight games in the 2020 season and five starts in 14 games in the 2021 season, his final campaign with Iowa.

Tracy totaled 871 receiving yards, five receiving touchdowns, 93 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in his time as a Hawkeye. His versatility should be very appealing for teams who are looking to draft one or more running backs in this month’s NFL Draft.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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