The New York Giants have assembled a solid wide receiver room that has a ton of potential.
But there is one candidate who has stood out from the bunch: Kadarius Toney. In an NFL.com story about one player from each NFL who is ready to make “the leap,” Toney was the Giants’ representative.
“Toney is going to gain 1,000 yards or do very little; there is no in-between. I feel great about the chances of the former happening,” Gregg Rosenthal wrote in his July 28 story. “Very few humans have the short-area explosion that Toney showed as a rookie. His stop-and-start ability often made NFL cornerbacks look unathletic. His routes weren’t as unrefined as draft analysts feared and many of his best wins were on the outside, in contested-catch situations.”
Toney had a rookie season full of highs and lows. He finished the year with 39 receptions for 420 receiving yards and no touchdowns. This was not the production that Toney and the Giants anticipated when he was taken 20th overall.
But at times last season, Toney showed how good he could be. He has the sort of skills that defenses will have to game plan for weekly.
Toney’s best performance came in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints. He was targeted 13 times while bringing in 10 receptions for 189 yards. This one outing accounted for almost half of his yards for the season, and a fourth of his receptions.
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‘Superstar Potential’ for Toney
Within the Giants’ newly constructed offense, led by head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Toney will have opportunities to showcase the talents that brought him to prominence.
In the first week and a half of training camp, the offense has already used Toney differently from last season. He has been placed in different positions throughout the offense, ranging from wide receiver and wildcat QB to the backfield alongside running back Saquon Barkley and rookie wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson
“He still would be better off moving around the formation and playing often in the slot, which should happen this year,” Rosenthal said. “It’s hard to overstate what a better fit Brian Daboll’s offense will be for Toney compared with Jason Garrett’s. There is superstar potential here.”
Daboll also praised Toney’s flexibility.
“He has a tremendous skillset. He’s smart. We move him around quite a bit,” Daboll said during a July 29 press conference. “He’s a good young player that we’re going to help develop anyway we can both on and off the field.”
Which Other Receiver Could Stand Out?
Robinson has been the rising star of the Giants’ training camp. The second-round pick has been utilized heavily in the offense. He has also made several big plays while building a solid connection with quarterback Daniel Jones.
Robinson was dominant in college, catching 195 passes for 2,248 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns through 31 games at Nebraska and Kentucky. He also was effective on the ground, adding 691 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on 141 attempts.
Much like Toney, Robinson could be used in a big way in this Giants offense. With how he has already been utilized through training camp, he could be in store for a massive rookie season.
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Giants’ Kadarius Toney Projected to Make Year 2 Leap