2015 NFL Draft: Could The Giants Draft Todd Gurley?

Could the New York Giants ignore draft need and draft Todd Gurley with the ninth overall pick? You know where I stand, the Giants need to focus on defense, not draft a running back. However Gurley is an amazing prospect and we should at least play this idea out before we dismiss it.

Gurley is one of the most incredible football players I have ever seen. I must admit he was my favorite player in college football the past two seasons because what he can do on the field is simply beyond belief.

Gurley has agility and elusiveness similar to Barry Sanders and Bo Jackson. He has power like Jamal Lewis, and I mean the 2003 form Jamal Lewis who rushed for 2,066 yards.

Gurley averaged an incredible 6.4 yards per carry in his college career. In the 2014 season he only had 123 carries (we’ll get to why in a second) and he rushed for 911 yards for 9 touchdowns with an average rush of 7.4 yards per carry. That is simply incredible.

In three seasons with the Bulldogs Gurley has caught 65 passes for 615 yards and 6 touchdowns. He has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and he has only had 11 kickoff returns. That is also incredible. He has even completed a 50 yard pass on a trick play. His talent knows no bounds.

Nov 15, 2014; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley (3) walks off of the field with training staff after getting a knee injury in the fourth quarter of their game against the Auburn Tigers at Sanford Stadium. Georgia won 34-7. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Gurley however comes with some injury concern. In 2014 he tore his ACL. In 2013 he had an ankle injury. Durability is a huge concern for Gurley. When he is on the field there is nobody more talented, the question is can he stay healthy. Remember Adrian Peterson had similar concerns coming out of Oklahoma, how did that turn out?

So let’s bring the conversation back to the Giants. The Giants have their biggest needs on the defensive side of the football. Though many teams have experienced success by stockpiling an insane amount of offensive talent. My high school defensive coordinator always said, “If they don’t score they don’t win.”

At the end of the day though the opponent can score 30 points as long as you score 31. Winning shoot outs is not how I prefer the Giants to go about it. Every great offense has a bad day and they typically come in the playoffs when you get matched up against the one defense who can frustrate you. Defense wins championships.

That being said Gurley is an amazing prospect. I don’t think the Giants should draft him. I don’t think the Giants will draft him. If they do however I can certainly understand why they would feel compelled to do so.

Next: 2015 NFL Draft: Pivotal Moment For New York Giants

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