Alabama football: Potential landing spots for DeVonta Smith in 2021 NFL Draft

Could Smith be the piece to get them over the top and into the playoffs?

After a rocky start, it seems as though the New York Giants will be in the mix to contend for a division crown in the worst division in football next year. The team began to play better under first-year head coach Joe Judge. While it was the defense that largely carried this bunch, the Giants may need one more offensive star to help get the absolute most out of Daniel Jones.

Essentially, the Giants could be getting a player as dynamic as Odell Beckham Jr. was in Smith, without all the drama of an international superstar. Smith can do way more than take a slant to the house or make a one-handed grab in primetime in a losing effort. He is at his core about the work and will do whatever it takes to make the Giants a team worth watching for years to come.

The best part is the Giants already have a star running back in Saquon Barkley. It would be difficult to top the emerging trio of Barkley, Jones and Smith in New York. Though he could be off the board before they are picking at No. 11, the Giants may still be in contention to land Smith if other teams pass on him for being slight of frame. They would be getting starpower and value simultaneously.

A reunion with Tua Tagovailoa in South Beach is too good to pass up

This is the one landing spot everybody is looking at with great intrigue. Could Smith reunite with his Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa down in South Beach? While taking Smith No. 3 overall does seem like a bit of a stretch, this is a lethal passing combination that will second-and-26 the opposition to death. For that reason, Smith could be the first non-quarterback taken off the board.

The Miami Dolphins actually have a great luxury here. See, this is not the pick they “earned” from having a terrible season. Miami was about a game away from making the AFC playoffs as a wild card team. This No. 3 overall pick is by way of the Houston Texans’ continued incompetence. Houston traded for Laremy Tunsil, while the Dolphins may be able to draft Smith at No. 3 overall.

For Miami to have any realistic shot of usurping the Buffalo Bills as the best team in the AFC East, the Dolphins must get the most out of Tagovailoa. Of the three first-round quarterbacks that played last year, Tagovailoa had the third most impressive season behind Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow in that order. By taking Smith at No. 3, it means that Miami wants to win with Tagovailoa.

Ultimately, Smith will have plenty of early first-round suitors in the 2021 NFL Draft. He could go as high as No. 3 overall to the Dolphins, but should not slip past the 49ers picking at No. 12. There are other teams picking in that range who could be in the mix for him, including the Cincinnati Bengals and the Detroit Lions. Smith may be small in stature, but he plays bigger than most do.

What NFL teams should use their first-round draft selection on the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner?

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