Finding Broncos: Scouting Florida WR Kadarius Toney
Welcome to Finding Broncos, our annual prospect-by-prospect series deep-diving on the coming NFL draft class. The scouting continues with Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney, a prospect the Denver Broncos might have a use for due to his undeniable playmaking ability.
Measurables
- Height: 5-foot-11
- Weight: 190 pounds
Stats
Pros
- Isn’t afraid of blocking and is quite tough despite his smaller size
- There is no fear working over the middle and taking big hits
- Has really grown as a route runner and has a lot of freelance moves that are super effective
- An elite, big-play threat whenever he is on the field, wherever he lines up
- Elite versatility as he can play in any scheme and fill any role
- Has a really high football IQ with a quick processor to read defenses and find openings in zone-coverage
- Has really good ball skills and bailed out his QB multiple times
- Will really hurt a defense if he is left to operate after the catch and brings that same skill-set as a returner
- His best trait is the best the most coveted by NFL teams and that is how easy he can get separation with his burst or rudeness
- Works best on quick catches that allow him to turn into a ball-carrier quickly
Cons
- Some will take issue with how freelance he is with his route running
- Has to really improve with his ability to get off of press-coverage
- Needs more consistency with his hands, especially with contested catches
- Can get beaten out at the catch point by more physical cornerbacks
- Relied too much on manufactured touches to really put up numbers
Overview
Toney is a very exciting playmaker that can be used all over. You want to try and protect him from certain things, like press coverage, to really maximize what he can do.
Some might take issue with his route running, and there is plenty of reason for doubts, but what he does works. So why fix something that isn’t broken?
There is so much an offense can do with Toney. Make no mistake, he is one of the better offensive weapons in the draft.
Fit with Broncos
If Denver really wanted to add another weapon to its offense, Toney would make a lot of sense. It really would come down to how the Broncos view the roles of Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler.
Denver could do with a more consistent deep threat, and that isn’t the best part of Toney’s game. Toney is a threat off of quicker catches that allow him to make people miss.
There is enough variance to his game, compared to what's already on-roster, that Denver could make it work, but it could be clunky at times. However, it seems unlikely the Broncos would look at taking a receiver as early as I'm projecting Toney to go.
Grade: Round 2
Where he Goes: Late Round 1/Early Round 2
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