Kadarius Toney will be a weapon for the New York Giants
By Jeremy Klump
One of the biggest surprises from the 2021 NFL Draft was the New York Giants taking former Florida Gators wide receiver Kadarius Toney with the 20th overall pick. Toney seemed to be the forgotten man at wide receiver, but not for the Giants.
I personally did not expect Toney to go this high, but first-year Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer told ESPN that it “broke his heart” that Toney went 20th overall, as he was going to select him with the 25th overall pick.
Meyer also added, via ESPN, “I’ve gotten to know him over the last couple weeks and obviously my connection with Gators coach Dan Mullen and those guys. You watch Toney play; he’s a human highlight reel.”
That was high praise from Meyer, and it seems the NFL had Toney raked a lot higher than those outside of it.
There was a lot of talk that the Giants did not need Toney, as they already have a lot of targets in the passing game, but I think the exact opposite. I believe adding Toney to the mix was a great idea.
Kadarius Toney will be a weapon for the New York Giants.
Toney will plug into an offense with one of the best running back in the NFL, Saquon Barkley. Barkley may be recovering from a torn ACL, but he should be back and better than ever in 2021. The Giants also signed former Detroit Lions star receiver Kenny Golladay, who will be their No. 1 target in the passing game. Along with Golladay, New York has receivers Darius Slayton, Sterling Shepard, and former first-round pick John Ross III.
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New York also has two solid tight ends, with Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph, so before we get back to Toney, let’s all give a round of applause for Giants starting quarterback Daniel Jones. The 2019 first-round pick has been surrounded by talent, and if his offensive line can progress, New York will be a scary good offense.
One of the main reasons for that will be Toney. The former Gators receiver is an electric playmaker with the ball in his hands. The first person rarely tackles Toney, and he embarrasses would-be tacklers every time the ball is in his hands.
Toney may not be a high-volume guy in 2021, but he will be a weapon team’s have to game plan for. New York will generate touches for him and get the ball in his hands, which is wise.
Toney will have some game-breaking touchdowns this season and cement himself as a dangerous weapon for the Giants’ offense.