Florida Head Coach Dan Mullen: Kadarius Toney Can Score for New York Giants Offense
While some were surprised by the New York Giants' first-round selection of University of Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney, his former college head coach believes they are getting a first-class talent with quite the unique skillset.
Following the first night of the NFL draft, University of Florida’s head coach Dan Mullen weighed in on what Toney brings to an already loaded Giants’ offense.
“He’s a playmaker. One of the things that’s really unique about him is that he can score. A lot of guys can make catches, put up stats and yards. But he puts the ball in the end zone. His ability to score touchdowns is a very unique deal,” Mullen told Giants Country.
“You can throw it to him in the end zone, or he can create big plays by breaking away in the open field. Or he can make you miss, break tackles and run people over,” said Mullen. “He has that kind of knack to get the ball into the end zone, which makes him a fun playmaker.”
“I don’t know how they view using him, but I think you can create a problem. All of a sudden, you are lining him up in the backfield and then he motions out, or you can motion him in from the receiver position or the slot. He can also be lined up on option routes and work people that way,” said Mullen.
Mullen has known Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett for several years. And according to Mullen, Garrett was one of the coaches who called him before the draft to inquire about Toney.
“I know Jason really well. He’s the one guy that did reach out from the Giants,” said Mullen. “Someone like Jason knows how to utilize his personnel. I think Toney will be a fun player for Jason to have and for the team to have as a guy that can move around. There are some talented skill players already on that offense and Toney is just another guy that the defense will have to pay attention to, where he is lined up at.”
Check out the video above in which All Gators publisher Zach Goodall takes a deep dive into what the Giants are getting in Kadarius Toney.
So, how will the addition of Toney help Giants quarterback Daniel Jones?
“It will help a lot because (Toney) is a very smart football player, so he’s going to work at it by spending a lot of time making sure he is on the same page with his quarterback. He’s a fun guy when you can flip the ball out to him for a five-yard pass and he can take it 60 yards down field. That’s a pretty good deal and it makes the quarterbacks feel pretty good.”
Toney will be joining a crowded receivers’ room with Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, and John Ross. But it is something he is used to, playing with Kyle Pitts and Trevon Grimes at Florida, and he knows how to excel in a rotation when fighting for targets, per Mullen.
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Toney made a name for himself in college, given his ability to play multiple skill positions. Toney finished his career with the Gators producing 2,641 all-purpose yards.
The 22-year-old primarily played in the slot and lined up on the outside and at the running back position. In 38 games, Toney caught 120 passes for 1,590 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also rushed for 580 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Mullen admittedly had a ton of fun tailoring his offensive game plan to a weapon of Toney’s caliber week-in and week-out.
“It’s a lot of fun because you can move him around to different locations,” said Mullen. “He’s an extremely intelligent football player. He mostly played in the slot, but you can put him in the backfield.
"He has the understanding of blocking schemes and the physicality to play running back and then you can put him on the outside as a receiver and create matchups with his speed.”
According to Mullen, his coaching staff spent a lot of time in Toney’s development as he was initially deployed as a playmaker in special packages. And their work ultimately paid off as the Gators were able to develop Toney into an every-down player by his senior season.
Toney’s unique versatility and high football IQ also made him a matchup nightmare playing under Mullen in the SEC.
“He’s a fun guy to have because when you have that type of weapon within the offensive package in in a guy that you can move around, he has to be really smart and know every position,” said Mullen.
“When they know different positions, you can move them around and dictate and control matchups and he’s a guy that lets you do that.”
“Anytime you have weapons like that you can create the matchups. You can either force the defense to show their hand or put people where they don’t want to be. If a corner is going to cover him man-to-man, you can line him up at tailback and then a corner is going to have to play middle linebacker. That’s the advantage, where you can put defensive players in uncomfortable matchups,” said Mullen.
Mullen likes the opportunities that Toney can create in the red zone, as well.
“It can create a lot of opportunities because you can get him matched up with a linebacker and utilize his quickness. It’d be hard to play tag with him in a phone booth,” said Mullen.
“You might not touch him. His ability to stop, start and make you miss gives him the ability in the route game, which makes him hard to cover. And it makes him a tougher matchup for different defensive backs depending on how you are moving him around.”
While Toney has already drawn comparisons to Odell Beckham Jr., Mullen went as far as to compare his former receiver to Kansas City Chiefs’ star wideout Tyreek Hill.
“When I watch NFL film, I see more similarities to a Tyreek Hill,” said Mullen. “Not with the elite speed, but his ability to move around and play different spots all over the field. They have similar versatility. He played high school quarterback and can throw the ball about 80 yards through the air. He’s got a huge arm.”
Despite being listed at 6”0, 193 pounds, Toney’s physicality also translates to his ability to block.
“For us, any good receiver has to be able to block. You have to take pride in your blocking and physicality. He might only be around 195 pounds, but he’s a really strong guy at that size. He’s a very unselfish player and really great team guy.”
For those concerned about Toney’s size, Mullen is confident that these concerns will soon be a non-topic once they can see what he can do.
And for any concerns about Toney and how he might fit in with the team, Mullen is confident that he'll be an asset to head coach Joe Judge's locker room.
“He’s a pretty quiet guy. But he is a great young man,” said Mullen. “Playing here in Florida in the SEC, you get the bright lights, and a lot of pressure comes with that. Playing in the New York market is a huge deal, but he is a guy who enjoys the spotlight and wants to be the star, so I think he’ll adapt to it pretty well.
"Kadarius is an all-in guy and a great team player. I think that’s something that everyone will see from Day 1. He has the attitude of doing whatever it takes to help the team win."
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