If only NFL teams could have hindsight in real time... but only for a select few. Actually, let's keep it to just the New York Giants. Everyone else can figure it out years later, like usual.
If only the Giants knew back then what they know now. Let’s go back to 2015. New York held the ninth overall pick, and with a clear need to upgrade the offensive line, specifically the blindside in front of Eli Manning. Then-GM Jerry Reese took a flier on offensive tackle Ereck Flowers out of Miami. Flowers was widely viewed as a mid-to-late first-rounder, but his size (6-foot-6, 330 pounds), seemingly unlimited potential, and athleticism were too much to pass on.
If only they had. After three seasons at left tackle, they finally gave up and moved him to the right side. And once that went belly-up, they couldn’t find a trade partner and ultimately released him. He’s arguably the biggest draft bust in team history -- Evan Neal would like a word -- which is why Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox has the Flowers experience in his re-draft of the worst picks over the past decade for Big Blue.
If Reese had gone best player available instead of drafting for need, the G-Men could have had superstar running back Todd Gurley, who was selected just one pick after Flowers at 10. If only, right?
Giants take Todd Gurley over Ereck Flowers in another dimension
Knox acknowledged Gurley’s career didn’t exactly last long, but we’re here for a good time, not a long time:
"Gurley didn't have a long heyday, but he was a three-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro in his first four seasons. He could have given New York a top-tier running game to pair with the final years of Eli Manning's career—something the Giants tried to accomplish with Saquon Barkley three years later."
It's hard to quantify just how impactful Gurley was because his career was cut short due to a degenerative knee injury, but he was something special in the beginning. He eclipsed 1,000 scrimmage yards in five of his six seasons, while dominating the awards and accolades.
His instant success could have helped jumpstart an anemic Big Blue running attack that couldn’t even crack the top half of the league most of those years. The Giants were stuck in the 20s -- even dipping near the bottom -- while Gurley had the Rams pushing into the top 10 and eventually top three in rushing.
Related: Giants fans won’t believe who got labeled biggest draft bust in team history
I mean, tell me you regret passing on Gurley without telling me. In 2018, New York selected Saquon Barkley second overall to finally address the ground game, while also letting Flowers go after losing the starting right tackle job to undrafted free agent Chad Wheeler.
Somewhere, billions of light-years away, there’s a galaxy where the Giants take the Georgia Bulldog running back at nine, and it all clicks. He carries the offense through the back stretch of Eli’s career, helps them snag a couple division titles, and maybe even squeezes out one last Super Bowl run. Somewhere, hindsight isn’t late to the party. It's just unfortunate it's not here.
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