DeVonta Smith Trashes Giants’ Ex-Top Pick in Resurfaced Tweet

Getty DeVonta Smith #6 of the Alabama Crimson Tide warms up prior to the College Football Playoff National Championship game.

A large handful of the fanbase wants DeVonta Smith on the New York Giants. Franchise legend Justin Tuck wants DeVonta Smith on the New York Giants. Quarterback Daniel Jones would almost certainly not be opposed to the idea of draping the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in blue.

Yet, as for those wary of the team using their first-round pick on the two-time First Team All-SEC, a recently resurfaced tweet directed at one of the Giants’ biggest draft busts may sway those few stragglers in Smith’s favor.

DeVonta Smith

@DeVontaSmith_6 · Follow

Every time i see Eli apple 1 on 1 i shake my head 😂

5:01 pm · 23 Dec 2018

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Eli Apple’s Tenure in New York Was a Complete Mess

If you’re a Giants fan, chance are you’ve had the unfortunate privilege of living through the Eli Apple era — and for that, we apologize.

After telegraphing their draft preferences of Jack Conklin and Leonard Floyd, allowing teams to jump ahead of them to select said players, then-general manager Jerry Reese and company decided to stay put and select Ohio State’s Eli Apple with the No. 10 overall in the 2016 NFL draft.

Widely perceived as a reach at the time, Apple failed to dismiss those beliefs over his two and a half years in East Rutherford. The ex-Buckeye struggled mightily on the football field throughout his Giants tenure and his portrayal in the locker room was not much better. Apple was suspended one game in 2017 for “a pattern of behavior that is conduct detrimental to the team.” In fact, one day prior to his suspension, captain Landon Collins went as far as to refer to Apple as a “cancer” during a radio interview with ESPN’s Bob Wischusen.

“There is only one corner who needs to grow up and we all know who that is,” Collins said. “That would be the only person I would change out of our secondary group. Besides, the other two guys, [Rodgers-Cromarie] and [Jenkins], I love those two guys. They play hard. They love what they do. That first pick…he’s a cancer.”

The Giants finally admitted to their draft whiff, opting to cut ties with Apple midway through the 2018 NFL season, dealing the cornerback to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a fourth and seventh-round draft pick.

Apple’s stint in NOLA ultimately ran its course as well, as the Saints opted against picking up his fifth-year option. He spent the past season as a member of the Carolina Panthers, appearing in only two games — beginning the season on injured reserve and eventually being released by late October.

Apple recently signed a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he’ll look to add depth to a position group that lost standout Williams Jackson to The Washington Football Team earlier this offseason.

Giants Continue to be Linked to Smith

After years of mostly ignoring the receiver position, the Giants finally went out and nabbed themselves a legitimate No. 1 target in Kenny Golladay on the free agency market. Furthermore, they added John Ross, a 25-year-old with 4.22 speed. While perceived as a bust with the Bengals, the former No. 9 overall pick was on pace for a 1,000-yard receiving season just two seasons ago before a shoulder injury struck.

Add in the likes of Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton and former second-round pick Dante Pettis, and Daniel Jones has himself the most talent and intriguing receiving corps of his young NFL career. However, by the sound of it, the team isn’t quite done addressing the position.

According to NFL Network’s draft expert, Daniel Jeremiah, the Giants want “more weapons.” In return, he landed on Smith as the Giants’ pick at No. 11 overall in his mock draft 3.0.