The NY Giants ultimately selected Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney with the No. 20 overall pick, after previously executing a trade back from the No. 11 overall pick with the Chicago Bears earlier in the night, but wound up adding to quarterback Daniel Jones’ arsenal.
It shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise that the NY Giants added a wide receiver, given the organization’s commitment to surrounding Jones with as many playmakers as possible in a year to both evaluate his potential as a franchise quarterback and with the hope of breaking through to the postseason for the first-time since 2016.
Toney, 6-foot and 193 pounds, caught 70 passes for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns, while averaging 14.1 yards per reception.
Toney has the potential to push for one of the NY Giants’ three starting receiver jobs, given his versatility to lineup outside or from the slot.
Here are scouting reports on Kadarius the NY Giants’ first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft:
"Slot talent who competes like a player bigger than his listed size. Toney has battled injuries, which helped cap his production until the 2020 season, when it finally clicked for the entire offense. His routes can look like one-on-one isolation basketball moves at times, but he has the ability to make instant cuts and break his routes off sharply. He could become a much more creative and consistent route runner in due time. He’s an atypical NFL slot in some ways and is likely to do his best work in a scheme that allows him plenty of run-after-catch opportunities. He’ll need more polish but should contribute right away as a receiver and punt returner."
"PROSRare ability with the ball in his hands. Some might say generational.Flexibility to sink in cuts is a sight to behold. Creates his own routes.Elite acceleration. Uses it well to vary speeds along route, too.Only three career drops on 123 catchable passes. Plucks ball away from body.CONSWholly unpolished route-runner. Nowhere near as precise as he’ll need to be in NFL.How he’ll fare in traffic is an unknown. 10 contested-catch opportunities in career.Injuries limited him to only 510 snaps over first three years at Florida.Top speed doesn’t match burst."
Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL