The New York Giants got outmaneuvered by two division rivals in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft when the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys traded with one another to keep the Giants from selecting Alabama wideout DeVonta Smith with the 11th overall pick.
The Cowboys traded the 10th pick to the Eagles for the 12th pick, allowing Philadelphia to select Smith. The Giants then traded the 11th pick to Chicago, who drafted Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.
Dallas, at No. 12, selected Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons.
The Giants, at No. 20, took Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney, who they eventually would trade away the next season.
In The Athletic’s re-draft of the 2021 NFL draft, none of the above transpires. Dallas stays at No. 10 and takes Virginia Tech offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw since Parsons is long gone, taken second overall by the Jets.
With Smith also gone — to Miami at No. 6 — Philadelphia selects Georgia cornerback Tyson Campbell at No. 12.
The Giants stay at No. 11 since there are no takers now that Fields is also off the board, taken third by San Francisco. They select Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, who is high on their board. In reality, Pitts was selected fourth overall by Atlanta.
In terms of pure athletic ability, Pitts is still a top-five prospect in this class.
The Falcons drafted him at the absolute start of the Arthur Smith-Terry Fontenot era with a long-term plan in mind. Pitts’ numbers haven’t been overwhelming through two years, but the situation around him is still developing. Right now, much of his path seems tied to an unproven QB in Desmond Ridder.
The Giants-Pitts connection makes a load of sense. It would have happened had Pitts fallen to them back in 2021. One huge question that many Giant fans are still asking is why they traded the 11th pick instead of taking Parsons for themselves. Instead, they find themselves lining up against him twice a season for the foreseeable future.
