NFL Draft: Giants Select Receiver Kadarius Toney After Trade Down To No. 20
(CBSNewYork)- The New York Giants traded back in the first round on Thursday night adding more draft picks to their arsenal in the future and then selecting wide receiver Kadarius Toney from the University of Florida with the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Welcome to Big Blue, Kadarius Toney!
— New York Giants (@Giants) April 30, 2021
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The senior was a do-it-all player for Dan Mullen's Gators in 2020. He pulled in 70 receptions for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns, added another 19 rushes for 161 yards and a score while also returning kicks and punts taking one punt back for a touchdown on the season in 11 attempts. The 70 receptions led the Gators offense in 2020 and helped to earn him first team all SEC honors. He was voted a second team All American all-purpose player for his efforts in all aspects of the game.
The trade, which saw the Chicago Bears move up from No. 20 to No. 11, gave the Giants a first round (No. 20) and fifth round pick (No. 164) this year and the Bears first and fourth round picks in 2022.
Giants trade: Pick 11
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 30, 2021
Bears trade: Pick 20, 164, 2022 first-round pick and 2022 fourth-round pick.
Toney did struggle with injuries at times at Florida as NFL.com's Lance Zierlein noted in his prospect profile of him. Zierlein sees him as a slot receiver who will work best in an offense that gets him the ball quickly in open space allowing him to run after the catch.
"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."
The 22-year-old joins a wide receiver group that added Kenny Golladay and John Ross in free agency this offseason to incumbents Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton. With running back Saquon Barkley returning from injury, the offense for coordinator Jason Garrett has plenty of talent surrounding quarterback Daniel Jones.