He was, however, a significant figure in the lead-up to the Convention. He was a delegate to the Annapolis Convention in 1786, which was a gathering of delegates from five states (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia) to discuss problems with the Articles of Confederation.
Yates played a key role in persuading the convention to call for a larger, more comprehensive convention to address the issue of interstate commerce. This call ultimately led to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787.
While he didn't attend the Constitutional Convention himself, he did have an indirect influence on it.