Giants 2021 NFL Draft report card: How did Big Blue do?

The NFL draft began for the Giants with the Philadelphia Eagles jumping over them to steal the player they wanted.

But it sure did get a lot better from there.

Dave Gettleman may not have landed his top target, Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith, but he certainly made the most of the rest of his weekend. The Giants GM transformed himself into “Trader Dave,” trading down twice and back up once. And he got a dynamic receiver anyway (Kadarius Toney). He found an edge-rusher in the second round that many thought was a first-round talent (Azeez Ojuliari). And he got aggressive to move up for a promising cornerback in the third (Aaron Robinson).

Not only that, he acquired an extra first, third and fourth-round pick in 2022 – a draft that many experts believe could be one of the best in years.

That’s just a fantastic haul overall. The one quibble is that they didn’t get help for his offensive line – strange, considering Gettleman’s love of Hog Mollies. It’s true, there was only so much he could do with only six picks. And as Gettleman said, there were a few times he had linemen in his sights, only to see them get drafted before the Giants got their chance.

That’s still a miss, though. And it could be a bad one if the current line doesn’t dramatically improve. But that’s only a small knock on an otherwise-stellar three days that made him a lot more popular with the Giants fan base than he was when the draft began.

Here’s the report card for the Giants’ individual picks:

First Round (No. 20 overall) – Florida receiver Kadarius Toney

This wasn’t at all how the Giants’ drew up the first round of the NFL draft. They wanted one of the Alabama receivers – either Jaylen Waddle or Smith. But Waddle went sixth to the Miami Dolphins. And then the Philadelphia Eagles traded up from 12 to 10 to get Smith ahead of the Giants.

But give Gettleman credit for being prepared and finding a way to make the most of a bad situation by trading down 20 with the Chicago Bears and picking up a future first-rounder (plus fourth and fifth-round picks) in the process. And not only that, he still got a playmaking receiver in the 6-foot, 199-pound Toney.

No, he’s not as good as Smith or Waddle. Toney has injury and off-field issues and only one year where his production was good. But he’s fast and elusive and a weapon the Giants can line up all over the field. He definitely helps them meet what was obviously their first-round goal: To add a weapon for young quarterback Daniel Jones.

Is it disappointing they didn’t land Smith? Absolutely. But Gettleman thought outside of his usual box and made lemonade out of the lemons. And Toney and a first-round pick might prove more valuable to the Giants than Smith would have in the long run. It’s help for the present and for the future, too.

Grade: A-

Second Round (Traded down to No. 50 overall) – Georgia LB Azeez Ojulari

This could go down as one of the steals of the entire NFL draft.

It certainly has to be surprising to the Giants that, after discussing Ojulari as a possibility at 11, they ended up landing the 6-2, 249-pound edge rusher 39 picks later. It was an amazing turn of events, made even more impressive by the fact that they got him after Gettleman traded down – for the second time in two nights! – swapping the 42nd pick with the Miami Dolphins for the 50th pick and a third-rounder in 2022.

That is some brilliant draft maneuvering. In fact, it would’ve been praise no matter who the Giants took at 50. But to end up with one of players they’ve been eyeing as a top pick for months ... that’s a home run.

They believe Ojulari can be a home run in the pass rush, too. He’s got great speed and explosiveness and is coming off an 8 ½-sack season. The Giants were desperate to find an edge rusher to play either behind or opposite Leonard Williams, who really was their entire pass rush last year.

Now they’ve got a 1-2 punch with a player they never could’ve expected would’ve been still waiting for them in the middle of Round 2.

Grade: A+

Third Round (Traded up to No. 71 overall) – Central Florida CB Aaron Robinson

What, you thought Gettleman could only trade down? After doing that twice, he flipped the switch in the third round and got aggressive, sending a fifth-round pick to the Broncos to move up from 76 to 71 to get a player the GM said he considered taking at 50.

Assuming that’s true, good for Gettleman to be bold and not just sit and hope that a player he likes falls into his lap.

Was the 5-11, 186-pound Robinson worth it? The Giants seem to really think so. They believe he’s an ideal fit for their defensive scheme, and the kind of press corner they want to build their defensive backfield around. He’s not big, but he’s tough and he’s quick enough to play inside or outside. Giants coach Joe Judge also said he has value on special teams.

The Giants, of course, already have James Bradberry and Adoree’ Jackson – two very expensive cornerbacks – so it can be argued that they might have been better off using their third-round pick on another position, like perhaps the offensive line. But they are continuing to understand that this is a passing league, and just like they feel they can’t have too many receivers, they can’t have too many people to cover them, either.

Grade: B+

Fourth Round (No. 116 overall) – Northern Iowa DE Elerson Smith

Despite an enormous need for help along the offensive line, the Giants instead added to what is now a glut at edge rusher. And they did it with an under-the-radar, developmental prospect who really burst onto the NFL radar at the Senior Bowl this year.

Elerson is a 6-6, 252-pounder who still seems to be growing into his role – at least he was before he opted out on the 2020 season. He was dominant in 2019, though, with 14 sacks and, according to some reports, 62 quarterback pressures. The competition level was low, of course, but he clearly played above it.

He now joins a very crowded edge group that includes second-round pick Ojulari and a group of returning linebackers that includes Lorenzo Carter, Oshane Ximines, Cam Brown and Carter Coughlin. It will be survival of the fittest there over the next few years, which is fine.

Now if only one of them could double on the offensive line.

Grade: B-

Sixth Round (No. 196 overall) – Arizona RB Gary Brightwell

Running back was hardly an area of need for the Giants with Saquon Barkley and Deonte Booker on the team. But they did need depth, as they learned last year.

It’s not really clear what they got in this 5-11, 218-pounder – at least as a running back. He wasn’t very productive for the Wildcats, with only 390 yards in five games last year, and some fumbling issues, too. Some scouts like his potential,. But mostly he’s a fit for what his role will be – depth.

Where he’ll really help, though, is on special teams. He was a very good special teamer for the ‘Cats. That’s likely why the Giants jumped on him, even though they probably could’ve waited and found that with a free agent after the draft.

Grade: C+

Sixth Round (No. 201 overall) – Oklahoma State CB Rodarius Williams

He’s not quite as good as his brother, Cleveland’s Greedy Williams, but the 6-foot, 189-pounder can play and has a lot of experience. He made a school-record 48 straight starts for the Cowboys, and the Giants will love that durability.

He wasn’t overly productive during those starts, though, but his size and his speed give him potential as the Giants add more depth to their defensive backfield. He will almost certainly start as a special teamer, which is of course important to Judge.

Grade: B

Overall draft grade: A-