New Giants Receiver Kadarius Toney: I Have a Lot to Learn About Life as a Giant
Receiver Kadarius Toney developed a reputation during his college career at Florida as an electrifying playmaker capable of lighting up the scoreboard.
But while his position is officially listed as a receiver, Toney is far from being a one-trick pony.
At the University of Florida, Toney played both in the slot and on the perimeter. After barely making a dent initially, he enjoyed a breakout season as a senior where in 11 games, he recorded career highs in receptions 970), yards (984), and touchdowns (10).
But that wasn’t all Toney contributed. Initially deployed as a gadget player, he put up some decent rushing numbers over his four-year career, running for 580 yards on 66 carries (8.8 average) and two touchdowns.
And did we mention he also contributed as a kickoff and punt returner, with one return for a touchdown in the latter role?
Here’s the scary part about Toney, former high school quarterback. He’s got a high ceiling that has the Giants brass thirsting to see much more.
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“Look, every pick in this draft is a projection. There's not a single player who is NFL ready. Let's not make that mistake,” head coach Joe Judge said.
“Everybody here needs development and part of the evaluation is identifying how high their ceiling is. We're excited about adding him to our team. There's a lot of things he can do and has a lot of versatility, but like every rookie coming in here, they've got to earn what they get and we're going to work them multiple positions to find their strengths. We can't assume what we saw on college tape is the best fit for them.”
Toney, who described his game as being of the pattern set by Packers running back Davante Adams and Saints rusher Alvin Kamara, agreed that he has a lot to prove.
“I’m really just embarking on my journey of really playing receiver – like my third-and-a-half year really just grasping receiver, so I feel like I’ve got a lot to really learn and a lot to grasp,” he said. “I feel like I’m in the right position, the right system and the right organization to really learn and grasp a lot of things early.”
One of the many things Toney hopes to quickly grasp is an understanding of the Giants organization’s rich background.
“I feel like it’s a lot to learn about the Giants that I don’t know,” he said, adding that he grew up watching some Giants football, mentioning quarterback Eli Manning, running back Tiki Barber, and receiver Odell Beckham, Jr.
“I feel like I don’t know anything right now. Right now, I’m trying to find the quickest thing I can learn and move forward. Honestly, I’m thinking about the playbook right now, as far as learning right now.”
He’s also hoping to make his impact on the team in whatever way is asked of him.
“Really coming into an offense that’s already full or packed, I want to just play my role. Whatever my job is, do it to the best of my ability,” he said.
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