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Training camp is a time to experiment, and that’s exactly what the New York Giants are doing with an offensive formation they rolled out at practice this week.
During individual drills on Tuesday, wide receiver Kadarius Toney reportedly took a snap as a wildcat quarterback. Toney was flanked by running back Saquon Barkley and rookie wideout Wan’Dale Robinson in the backfield, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
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On Monday, Duggan suggested that Giants head coach Brian Daboll had something special cooking for Toney.
“Daboll said he approached Kadarius Toney about adding unspecified more position flexibility and the receiver enthusiastically embraced it,” Duggan reported on Twitter. “Could we see some Wildcat? Saw Toney throw a pass in the individual period of Friday’s practice.”
Sure enough, Toney was playing Wildcat QB the very next day.
Kadarius the QB is nothing new. Toney threw for 6,498 yards and 69 touchdowns in two seasons as the starting quarterback for his high school team and was listed as an “ATH” (athlete) on his 247Sports recruiting profile. He attempted six passes in four seasons at Florida, completing three of them for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Toney also attempted three passes as a rookie with the Giants, completing one of them to fellow wide receiver Sterling Shepard for a gain of 19 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The completion to Shepard highlights Toney’s accuracy, but he also has a ton of arm strength. Watch him launch this ball during 2021 practice in the video below.
Toney’s quarterback experience makes this development interesting, but it’s the versatility of the other two players in the backfield that really makes the wildcat formation enticing.
Saquon Barkley Looking ‘Explosive’ Out of the Backfield
The Giants are hoping Saquon Barkley will make a strong comeback in 2022, and Brian Daboll seems to believe that using him more often as a receiver will facilitate that.
Daboll recently said that Barkley is looking “explosive” at practice, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN, and the video evidence supports that notion.
Whether it’s Daniel Jones at quarterback or the new wildcat formation with Kadarius Toney taking the snap, Barkley will be a matchup nightmare as a pass-catcher coming out of the backfield. Tae Crowder (the linebacker in the clip above) had no chance in coverage, as Barkley quickly created several yards of separation for an easy score down the left sideline.
Daboll’s offensive creativity has the potential to unlock Barkley’s full potential, which we haven’t seen since he led the NFL with over 2,000 yards from scrimmage as a rookie in 2018.
Wan’Dale Robinson is Taking Handoffs at Practice
The beauty of the Giants’ new wildcat formation is the versatility of all three players in the backfield. Kadarius Toney has the quarterback experience, Saquon Barkley is emerging as more of a receiving threat, and Wan’Dale Robinson used to be a running back.
Robinson, who was ranked the No. 1 “APB” (All-Purpose Back) coming out of high school by 247Sports, has been taking some handoffs at Giants training camp.
Robinson was used more as a ball-carrier at Nebraska than Kentucky, but he finished his college career with 691 yards and four touchdowns on 141 carries. That’s 4.9 yards per carry, which is a solid average for a guy who is only 5-foot-8 and 185 lbs.
It’ll be interesting to see how often the Giants utilize this new wildcat formation, as Daboll looks to unleash the team’s most dynamic playmakers in 2022.
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