Giants Swap WR Kadarius Toney for Solid Player in 2021 Redraft Scenario

If only it could have been the real draft.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith (65) poses for a photo after winning Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

In the 2021 NFL Draft, the New York Giants traded out of the 11th overall spot with the Chicago Bears, who sought to draft quarterback Justin Fields. The Giants, in moving down to No. 20, picked up an extra first-round pick in the deal and used the 20th pick on wide receiver Kadarius Toney.

Oh what might have been. Hindsight is certainly 20/20, but at the time, Toney was a highly touted wide receiver who received a 6.36 prospect grade from NFL.com. Toney’s talent and versatility offered a host of possibilities in which he could be deployed on offense.

Unfortunately, Toney and New York simply were a match made, well, not in heaven. He made just four starts in 10 appearances during an injury-plagued rookie season, catching 39 passes for 420 yards and no touchdowns. 

The following year, with new general manager Joe Schoen and new head coach Brian Daboll, Toney’s disenchantment with the Giants resulted in his being shipped to Kansas City for their third—and sixth-round picks. 

Given how Toney didn’t work out in New York, it’s probably fair to say that if the Giants were given a mulligan on that pick, they probably would have done things a lot differently. 

Such as maybe going with offensive lineman Trey Smith, whom Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team proposed in a recent re-draft of the 2021 first-round 

"Trey Smith fell to the sixth round due to a medical issue," Mosher wrote. "But in this re-draft, he goes at pick No. 20 to the New York Giants. Smith is a mammoth offensive guard who has started a combined 60 games (including playoffs) for the Chiefs during the last three years. Smith would really help the Giants' weak interior offensive line."

Smith has been nothing short of solid since his debut in 2021. He has played over 1,000 snaps in his three seasons and earned high marks from Pro Football Focus. Smith has been one of the stalwarts of the Chiefs' line in their two Super Bowl championships.

The Giants' offensive line has been mostly a problem for the last decade. Given how Smith has worked out for the Chiefs, putting him on an offensive line with left tackle Andrew Thomas and, eventually, center John Michael Schmitz might very well have turned a shaky Giants offensive line into a more stabilized version. 

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