The first round of the 2021 NFL Draft was a memorable one.
The Giants made a big move on Thursday, trading the No. 11 pick to the Chicago Bears for the No. 20 pick and the No. 164 pick, along with Chicago's first- and fourth-round picks in 2022.
With the No. 20 overall pick, the Giants selected Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney, an explosive offensive weapon.
Here is how experts have graded the Giants' moves in the first round.
"I projected the Bears-Giants deal in my first-round trades article a few weeks ago, despite the Giants' apparent reticence against moving down early in the draft. Getting a first- and fourth-rounder in 2022, plus a fifth-rounder this year, to move down nine spots wasn't much of a decision for GM Dave Gettleman. Toney's quickness off the line of scrimmage is fantastic, and he looked like a first-rounder from the get-go during the 2020 season. Daniel Jones should find the former Gator to be a great slot target, combining with free agent acquisitions Kenny Golladay and John Ross to spice up the Giants' passing attack. Although Toney had a couple drops during Senior Bowl week, he was reliable during his Florida career, so I don't believe that is an issue. And if you watched those practices closely, Toney separated from defenders in Mobile, Alabama, in a way that most receivers don't."
Pro Football Focus: Above Average
"Kadarius Toney is still learning to play wide receiver, but his development in 2020 was impressive to watch if you cued up his tape chronologically. Plus, there is no more electrifying playmaker in this draft. Toney is a tackle-breaking machine, and while he was primarily a slot receiver in college, he has the size and moves to develop into more than that at the next level."
ESPN's Mel Kiper on Round 1 winners
"How about Dave Gettleman trading down? It was his first trade back -- in any round -- in his nine drafts as a general manager. And the Giants got back the Bears' No. 20 pick, a fifth-round pick this year and their first- and fourth-rounders next year to move down nine spots. That's a big win for a team that is still ascending and building its roster. With that No. 20 pick, Gettleman got a weapon for quarterback Daniel Jones in Toney, who should get 10-plus touches per game on offense and as a returner. He's dynamic with the ball in his hands out of the slot. New York's receivers were very poor last season, but now Jones has Toney and free-agent signing Kenny Golladay to take him to the next level. Either way, any team that adds a future first-round pick and still gets a great player is a winner on draft night."
"Give Giants GM Dave Gettleman a ton of credit for making the most of a bad situation, trading down to 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 Kadarius Toney... 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."
"Dave Gettleman traded down for the first time in his tenure as a general manager, and one thing is confirmed: He didn't get fleeced. In fact, the opposite is true. When you look at this year's and last year's trades in the first round, no team got more value from trading down than the Giants in this swap. Think about this: Depending on the growing pains of quarterback Justin Fields in the NFL, the future first-rounder that changed hands could even be about the same value as the No. 11 pick they gave up on Day 1. But even if Fields hits the ground running and the Bears win the Super Bowl in 2021, the Giants would still come away with positive value out of this trade. In other words, the risk of the uncertainty of the Bears' future first-rounder is low, but the upside is tremendous."
"The Giants ranked 31st in both yards per game and points per game last season, while also ranking dead last with 12 receiving touchdowns. So, they addressed a major need by selecting a talented wide receiver in Florida's Kadarius Toney. He is an electric playmaker and gives the Giants offense much-needed speed and big-play potential."
"He has the tools to really add a big-play threat to the offense. Trading down and getting a playmaker and a first-round pick next year is a good move."
"New York added Kenny Golladay as a defined outside No. 1 for Daniel Jones. Toney, a big-play slot with some nice field-stretching skills, can complement Golladay, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton well with his versatility."
"Whatever happened with the Giants this draft the team needed a weapon, and Toney is a weapon. He's a receiver in the Stefon Diggs mold, and along with Kyle Pitts made the Gators' offense a nightmare."
