DeVonta Smith thought “for sure” he would be a Giant – Big Blue View

Once the Carolina Panthers bypassed him at No. 8 in the 2021 NFL Draft, DeVonta Smith began envisioning standing on the draft stage in Cleveland wearing a New York Giants cap and holding a blue No. 1 jersey while greeting Commissioner Roger Goodell.

“I thought Carolina was going to draft me,” Smith told [Chris] Long (via NBC Sports Philadelphia). “That’s who I thought. I knew of course the Giants, but it was all about, You have to get to 11. I knew if I was there at 11, I was for sure going to the Giants.”

The Philadelphia Eagles, of course, had other ideas. They moved No. 12 to No. 10 in a deal with the Dallas Cowboys to select the Heisman Trophy-winning wide receiver.

The Giants, of course, reacted by trading down from No. 11 to No. 20 in a deal with the Chicago Bears, then selecting wide receiver Kadarius Toney.

New York is happy with how things worked out. They got the dynamic Toney, along with first- and fourth-round picks in 2022 and a fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft.

Giants fans, though, aren’t forgiving. Our poll of who fans want to see the Giants face Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season clearly shows a thirst for having a crack at the Eagles.