2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: WR Kadarius Toney, Florida

Kadarius Toney was once best known for being a gadget player, but as his college career went on, he developed into the complete package.

WR KADARIUS TONEY 
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Class: Senior
School: Florida

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Possible first-round selection who is returning to his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, for an appearance at the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl ( he's technically from Eight Mile, which is right outside Mobile). A former 3-star recruit out of Blount High School, where he was the 20th ranked player out of Alabama in the 2017 recruiting class.

He was a dangerous gadget player for most of his time at Florida but put together a dynamic senior season for Dan Mullen and the Gators. They played predominantly out of the slot and was used in the run game as well. I’m not big on comparisons, but he has Percy Harvin vibes from his time with Florida.

Recorded 120 receptions for 1,590 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns during his time in Gainesville. Also had 580 rushing yards on 66 carries and two rushing touchdowns. Had a dynamic senior season where he caught 70 passes for 984 and 11 total touchdowns.

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Notables

Toney ran into some off-field troubles when he was found with a loaded AR-15 in the summer of 2018, but he wasn't arrested as it was determined that the weapon was found in the back seat of his car rather than being "on or about" him. 

Toney was also one of seven Gators suspended for the 2018 season opener due to an alleged altercation on campus with a group of local Gainesville men.

He missed four games in 2017 because of nagging shoulder and shin injuries that lasted the entire season. He suffered a left shoulder injury that forced him to miss five games in 2019.

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Traits

Incredibly athletic and one of the more agile prospects in the draft - has joystick vibes. He is undersized and has a leaner build, yet he still plays with very good play strength when engaging tacklers. 

Toney is an electric slot receiver who is used in the running game often; he’ll be a dynamic chess piece for creative offensive coordinators. His combination of quickness, acceleration, burst, and elusiveness will make him incredibly dangerous for defenders.

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• New York Giants 2020 Position Review: Receivers

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Excellent burst and explosiveness off the line of scrimmage and up his stem. Very smooth while running underneath routes and has exceptional foot quickness, control, and fluidity in how he sinks his hips and explodes on tight angles. 

Could refine his routes when his speed is built up in the vertical portions of the field. Can stretch the field vertically and horizontally with speed and ability to separate athletically.

Very dangerous in space and in tight quarters; he may be undersized, but he’s shown the ability to lower his shoulder and break tackles right after he breaks ankles in space. 

His ability to create YAC can be defined as electric. It was used often on designed quick passes near the line of scrimmage (bubbles, quick slants, screens) but was also used to stretch the defense from the No. 3 spots in 3x1 sets to the field.

Hands are solid. Contested catch situations remain somewhat unclear - he didn’t show a ton of it at Florida. More of an excellent athlete who creates separation during stem and after the catch, rather than the contested-catch type of player. As a runner, Toney shows incredible vision and combines that with burst and contact balance through hits.

He struggles with press coverage on the line of scrimmage and will have to prove that he can win with his release. The Senior Bowl will be important to prove that he possesses that trait. 

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Final Thoughts

Toney doesn’t have the ideal size, but he’s a very willing blocker and will mix it up. Overall, he is an explosive weapon who possesses elite athletic traits. He’s still raw and scratching at the surface of his potential. Should be used in the slot, and on designed touches in the run game would be a smart way to employ Toney’s skill set. 

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