The New York Giants circled back around to the EDGE position in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, selecting Elerson Smith out of Northern Iowa.
Smith didn’t play in 2020, as Northern Iowa was one of the schools who shifted their schedule to the spring of 2021. However, he showed up to the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl and showed conclusively that he could compete — and win against — the best seniors from the biggest schools in the nation.
The Giants have always scouted the Senior Bowl heavily, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they were paying attention this year.