DeVonta Smith was one of the most coveted receivers in the entire 2021 Draft class, with the Philadelphia Eagles ultimately nabbing him at 10th overall. However, Philly's decision to trade up didn't bode well for the New York Giants, who were flat out pissed they missed out on the Heisman Trophy winner.
According to ESPN, the whole process left NY furious.
An SEC assistant said the Miami Dolphins would take Waddle or Smith, if available, and an SEC head coach said Philadelphia “got a steal in DeVonta,” likening the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner to former Eagles star DeSean Jackson. An SEC defensive coordinator added, “The Giants wanted DeVonta bad. They were pretty livid when Philly moved in front of them.”
Needless to say, the Eagles did the Giants dirty. They traded up for the 10th overall pick in order to get the Alabama standout, which led to the Giants trading away their 11th pick for 20th overall with Chicago.
As you saw above, Smith is already drawing comparisons to former All-Pro Desean Jackson, who spent a total of eight seasons with Philly. Smith also reunites with college teammate Jalen Hurts, who is a heavy favorite for the starting job with the Eagles.
The Giants, on the other hand, ending up drafting receiver Kadarius Toney at 20th. Although they didn't their main target, it's still a positive being able to get quarterback Daniel Jones some more options out wide.
New York will now get to see their NFC East rivals this season and wonder what could've been if Smith was in a Giants jersey instead.
It may have been off the field, but the Eagles won this battle with a smooth move on Draft Day.
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