Kadarius
Toney.
Kadarius
Toney.
Florida· 5'11"· 193 lb· 4.39s 40
"A gadget playmaker whose best snaps look like a first-round pick and whose worst snaps look like a special-teams role. The floor is a slot returner; the ceiling rewrites how a team designs its perimeter."Pre-draft read
This slot and gadget receiver wins with exceptional quickness and the ability to create after the catch. He deploys jet sweeps, pop passes, screens, and other manufactured touches, where a missed tackle can lead to a significant gain. His open-field movement skills allow him to evade defenders and maximize yardage, functioning as a pure YAC threat.
His game relies on lateral agility and burst, allowing him to change direction rapidly. The immediate acceleration and elusiveness he exhibits make him dangerous once the ball is in his hands. He aligns predominantly in the slot, where he can best exploit defensive mismatches and capitalize on his space-creation ability.
Kadarius Toney is a perfect fit for a spread RPO or Air Raid scheme, leveraging his exceptional YAC and versatility as a gadget player.
Year 1: immediate gadget player and return specialist, with a ceiling as an elite NFL slot/YAC weapon.
Pro-style West Coast timing offenses that primarily value traditional route running and contested-catch ability.
His ability to create after the catch and perform in various roles makes him an instant impact player in modern, motion-heavy offenses.
Kadarius Toney WR Florida Highlights of 2020
Kadarius Toney — Elusive, Explosive, Electric
Kadarius Toney NFL Draft Scouting Report 4-1-21
This prospect projects as a valuable offensive weapon primarily due to his elite ability to generate yards after the catch and his versatile playmaking profile. He offers a team a dynamic, motion-and-RPO-friendly piece who can instantly elevate run-after-catch schemes, validating a first-round grade with his exceptional athleticism and playmaking instinct.
His collegiate career at Florida was marked by shifting roles and a significant breakout in his senior year, where he posted 70 catches for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns in 11 games. He was utilized in various ways, including as a Wildcat quarterback, showcasing his adaptability within an offense. This late-career production surge against SEC competition solidified his standing as a first-team All-SEC selection.
Evaluators noted pre-draft concerns regarding off-field incidents and reports about meeting attendance. These issues, coupled with a perceived limited route tree, tempered some evaluations. Despite these flags, his rare athletic profile and the highlight reel of his YAC ability led to his selection by the New York Giants with the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
- 01
YAC/Shake Abilities
Exceptional lateral quickness, jump-cut capabilities, and open-field creation are among the best in his class.
- 02
Breakout Senior Season
Had a significant breakout season in 2020 with 984 yards and 10 touchdowns on 70 catches against SEC defenses.
- 03
Positional Versatility
Can play slot, outside X, jet-sweep gadget, and Wildcat QB, fitting modern motion-and-RPO offenses.
- 04
Verifiable Speed Profile
A 4.39 pro-day forty confirms his long speed and contributes to a complete athletic profile for his position.
- 05
Route-Running Development
Visible route-running growth and improved technique year-over-year at Florida, despite quarterback changes.
- 01
Character Concerns
Pre-draft character flags included a 2019 marijuana arrest and a 2020 roster suspension.
- 02
Limited College Production
Thin college production of 120 catches, 1,590 yards, and 12 touchdowns over four seasons.
- 03
Limited Collegiate Route Tree
Route tree prior to 2020 was limited to gadget and screen concepts, requiring projection for an X-receiver role.
- 04
Contested-Catch Profile
Average contested-catch profile for his size, suggesting a functional rather than a plus win rate.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.39sp50
- Vertical
- 39.5inp50
- Broad jump
- 136inp50
- Three-cone
- 6.88sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.25sp50
- Bench
- 9repp50
| Yr | Team | G | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Florida | 8 | 15 | 152 | 0 |
| 2018 | Florida | 12 | 25 | 260 | 1 |
| 2019 | Florida | 7 | 10 | 194 | 1 |
| 2020 | Florida | 11 | 70 | 984 | 10 |
| Career | — | 38 | 120 | 1590 | 12 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Useful multi-alignment weapon whose best value comes from motion, quick game and schemed touches rather than classic WR1 volume.
If the play strength and route growth hit, he becomes a manufactured-touch nightmare who changes defensive spacing.
Dynamic talent whose role, durability and week-to-week reliability can become harder to manage than the flashes are worth.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
2021 (rookie, NYG): 39-420-0 in 10 games, meeting issues, hamstring. 2022 (NYG): 2 games, traded to KC in October for a 3rd. With KC: 14-171-2 to finish the year, 2 catches in Super Bowl LVII including a 65-yard TD. 2023 (KC): 27-169-1, persistent hamstring, won Super Bowl LVIII. August 2024: cut by KC for meeting/locker-room issues. September 2024: signed and cut by CLE. January 2025: CHI practice squad, no call-up. Effectively out of the NFL. Career_av: 8.
Toney is the cleanest 2021 case study of how pure YAC talent without a route tree or intangibles fails to convert into a sustained NFL career. The 2020 Florida highlight tape — specifically the Ole Miss game (10 catches, 182 yards, 5 forced missed tackles in 60 minutes) — is one of the most visceral YAC reels of the last decade. With a 4.39 forty at 193 lbs, 39.5" vertical, 6.66 three-cone, he has top-1% class burst and change-of-direction; he processes open-field like the ex-QB he is (atypical skill-set because he read defenses as a QB before reading them as a WR). The Giants at #20 bet Deebo Samuel — the similar gadget-WR-with-generational-YAC profile — validated the top-20 archetype.
The bear case was written in three points and all three landed. One: limited route tree at Florida (jet, quick out, seam, screen), no evidence of curl, dig or 9-route executed consistently. Two: stacked off-field concerns (2019 marijuana arrest, 2020 roster suspension, meeting-attendance reports pre-draft). Three: sub-optimal frame for a traditional WR1 (5'11", 193 lbs, 30.5" arms).
The post-draft trajectory has been about as bad as possible. 2021 with NYG: 39-420-0 in 10 games, reported meeting/practice issues, hospitalizations, personal conflicts within the team structure. 2022: relegated to 2 NYG games, hamstring injury, then traded to KC in October for a 3rd — a reset with a new offensive approach. With KC in 2022 he signed the iconic moment: 2 catches in Super Bowl LVII including a game-changing 65-yard end-around TD. 2023: 27-169-1 in KC, persistent hamstring, won Super Bowl LVIII. Cut by KC in August 2024 for meeting issues and locker-room fit. Signed and cut by CLE in September 2024. Signed to Chicago's practice squad in January 2025 without a call-up. Currently free agent, effectively out of the NFL at 26.
The likely comp was Curtis Samuel — productive WR/gadget who never became a star — and the low was Percy Harvin in his character-driven bust arc. The low landed with more force. It's a pick that failed on a combination of technical reach (route tree) and a failure of character projection.