New York Giants fans aren’t going to like this one.
Dallas Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons said the Giants initially told him they were going to select him if he was available at No. 11 in the 2021 NFL draft, only to trade out of the pick instead.
“They lied to me,” he told CBS Sport’ Bryant McFadden on Thursday. “People don’t know this. They told me if I fell to No. 11 that they was going to pick me. I swear. That’s why I punish the Giants every time. It’s personal. … ‘Cause when the Cowboys traded back, I was like ‘Oh shoot, I’m going to New York.'”
Instead, the Giants traded the No. 11 pick to the Chicago Bears for the 20th and 164th selections in the 2021 draft and first- and fourth-round selections in the 2022 draft. The Bears went on to select quarterback Justin Fields, the Cowboys took Parsons at No. 12 and the Giants selected Kadarius Toney at No. 20.
The Giants then used the 2022 first-round selection from Chicago on offensive tackle Evan Neal. So, in essence, the Giants gave up the chance to draft Parsons in exchange for a pair of fourth-round picks and Toney—who they traded one season later—and Neal, who has struggled enough in pass protection that he wasn’t even a starter to begin the 2024 season.
