2015 NFL Draft: Pivotal Moment For New York Giants

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The 2015 NFL Draft is perhaps the most pivotal moment in recent memory for the New York Giants. The Giants are still clinging on to the two Super Bowl runs as a mark of validation, the past three years were just three anomalies in a row. Well not really, but that’s a nice thought isn’t it?

The Giants have to reestablish themselves as one of the elite organizations in the NFL. The inescapable fact is that the Giants have missed the postseason for three years in a row. The unavoidable truth is that the Giants got comfortable with just being okay, thinking they could always have another magical run to Super Bowl glory.

Well the magic well has run dry, and the team has been below .500 for two consecutive seasons. If the Giants aren’t careful they’ll fall into the same trap as teams like the Oakland Raiders, or the Washington Redskins. Remember the Raiders went to the Super Bowl in 2002 and they have stunk ever since. It doesn’t take much to slip in this league and fall in the ranks with the under achievers.

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The 2015 NFL Draft is how the Giants have to find a way out of this downward trajectory. They must find players that will turn around the fate of the franchise, and return glory to one of the most historically good teams in football. The Giants are at a cross roads. They can either walk amongst the losers or catch up to the winners.

Oct 5, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham (13) reacts after a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The New York Giants defeated the Atlanta Falcons 30-20.Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants have a lot of talent. Eli Manning is the organization’s iron man and goodness knows he has weapons to throw the ball to. Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz are two targets that make offensive coordinator’s life pretty easy, just throw it to them and good things happen. The Giants boast one of the best offensive attacks in football.

The defense, well that’s another story. I know how the fairy tale goes. Steve Spagnuolo returns as the defensive coordinator and the pass rush fixes everything. The problem is Jason Pierre-Paul is the only dangerous rusher off the edge that the Giants have. There are plenty of holes on the defensive side of the ball.

The Giants gave up almost five yards per carry in 2014. The Giants got outscored and outgunned in competitive games where the offense had to perform flawlessly just to have a shot. The Giants have one mission in this draft. They have to fix the defense.

Defense wins championships. It may be cliché but you know as well as I do that it is true. If the Giants don’t rebuild the defense they will not only waste an electric offense, they will slip further into mediocrity. It’s not a nice thought that helps you sleep at night but a fact that must drive this team in the right direction.

Next: 2015 NFL Draft: NFC East Team Needs