After the Giants traded back and picked Kadarius Toney 20th overall in the NFL Draft, there were some questions about if that was too soon. Most post-draft grades lauded some of their other picks, but not that one.
But there was at least one team that picked after the Giants that has already made it clear they would’ve picked Toney too. And maybe more than one team.
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Jaguars coach Urban Meyer even admitted it publicly on ESPN’s College GameDay, telling the hosts that it “broke his heart” that the Florida wide receiver wasn’t there on the board for Jacksonville’s pick at No. 25. They wound up picking Clemson running back Travis Etienne instead.
Meyer’s interest in Toney makes a lot of sense if you consider the background: Florida’s head coach is Dan Mullen, who was Meyer’s offensive coordinator at Florida from 2005-08, and the Gators’ wide receivers coach is Bobby Gonzales, who was also on that staff.
Gonzales told NJ Advance Media that he was clued into Meyer’s interest in Toney at Florida’s Pro Day earlier in the draft process.
“I had a chance to talk to coach when he came down to Pro Day about Kadarius,” Gonzales said. “He was asking questions about what type of player he was.”
Gonzales said it was “neat” that Meyer was raving about Toney publicly.
“I’ve gotten to know him over the last couple weeks and obviously my connection with Mullen and those guys,” Meyer said on ESPN. “You watch (Toney) play, he’s a human highlight reel.”
As it turns out, the Jaguars might not have been the only team that wanted to pick Toney.
According to The Athletic’s Bob McGinn, the Packers were “extremely high” Toney and had their “fingers crossed” he would fall into their range in the first round.
It doesn’t seem like such a reach after all.
Anyway, the Toney selection ultimately made a lot of sense for the Giants at No. 20, largely because he’ll add a dimension to their offense they haven’t had. Toney has impressive athleticism and an ability to line up at multiple spots on offense, including at running back. Many believe his route running could use some development, but the Giants won’t need him to even start as a rookie with Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton already in the mix at wide receiver.
Toney was used more as a gadget player his first three years at Florida before he broke out in 2020, accumulating 1,145 total yards and 11 touchdowns while also contributing as a returner.
Gonzales, who also coached Percy Harvin at Florida, thinks Toney will be able to help right away in part because of his football IQ and ability to line up anywhere — including quarterback, which he played in high school.
“He’s super smart,” Gonzales said. “And when I say he’s super smart: He’s a guy that I can play at any position and he can tell you what any receiver, X, Y, Z, he can tell you what the tailback is doing, he can tell you what the tight end’s doing.”
Gonzales added that Toney will help to “create mismatches” for an NFL offense.
“Especially with not being able to bump and run press all the way down the field and when the balls in the air, it’s a different rule than college,” Toney said. “He’s so quick off the line of scrimmage. So I’m excited to see how they put him in that position where he can have an opportunity to make guys miss and create mismatches. We did a lot of that stuff with him (at Florida): Put him in the backfield, direct snap, brought him in motion, jet sweeps, we single up as an outside receiver but we’d also seam him up as a slot.
“I’m super excited for him and I’ve become a big Giants fan now.”
Meyer might not be a fan of the Giants, but he was a fan of Toney as a possible Jaguars pick.
Until the Giants stole him from them.
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Zack Rosenblatt may be reached at zrosenblatt@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.