By Adam Aniba
Draft Prospect Spotlight; Kadarius Toney
The situation at wide receiver for the WFT is, arguably, one of the top rosters needs this offseason. Luckily for Washington, this year's crop is deep with a ton of talent at slot receiver. For the second year in a row Terry McLaurin led the team in all receiving categories and it wasn't close.
Former Alabama UDFA Cam Sims showed promise during the stretch run of the 2020 season at the X receiver. Although Sims converted some critical 3rd down conversions in key wins, he has a tendency to disappear in games, while struggling to gain separation. Sims will likely have a role in the receiver rotation along with unproven small schooler Antonio Gandy-Golden, but their options at slot are bleak. After showing some promise as the starting slot on 2019, Steven Sims Jr is no longer in the teams plans. At pick #19 top receivers Ja'Marr Chase and DeVonta Smith will be off the board, leading the Washington gojing for BPA at another position of need.
The truth is Washington and other receiver needy teams will find future starters and potential gems on Day 2-3 of the draft. The Burgundy and Gold Report has just the weapon that could be the perfect compliment to #17.
Kadarius Toney
5'11" 190 lbs
1st Round Grade | WR | Univ of Florida
Career Stats 120 rec for 1,590 yards and 18 td's and 13.3 ypr average and 66 rushes for 580 yards 2 td's 8.8 ypc
2020 70 receptions for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns 17.9 ypr average and 19 rushes for 161 yards 1 td
Awards and Accolades
* Paul Hornung Award finalist which is given to the most versatile player in the nation. Other finalists Michael Carter (UNC), D’Wayne Eskridge (W.Michigan), Travis Etienne (Clemson) and Devonta Smith (Alabama).
Tale of the Tape
* Swiss army knife, can line up all over the field (QB, HB ,WR and KR/PR in HS)
* FAST- Likely runs in the 4.3-4.4 range at pro day
* Lethal deep threat (ran HS track)
* Extremely shifty and difficult to bring down in the open field
* Soft/reliable hands
* Not a refined route runner, but at his best when adjusting on the fly
Fit in Washington
Toney will need some work on his route running, considering he was only asked to run a handful of routes including jet sweep runs. Toney's background as a HS quarterback (Jr-Sr year comb totals 6,498 yp and 1,790 yr with 100 total td's ) and dual sport athlete fall in line with prospects that The Burgundy and Gold Report covet. Heisman semi-finalist Kyle Trask was bailed out on many occasions with Toney and his ability to adjust/reverse field on the fly. Although Toney still has a lot to learn when it comes to route tree efficiency, he more than makes up for it with his nose for the end zone and elite understanding of angles.
Toney has the ceiling to be a top slot receiver on the next level, but getting his start on special teams and sub-packages make him an ideal fit for OC Scott Turner's system. In 2020 Washington's offense focused on attacking underneath coverages and attacking the flats, which is how Toney feasted during his time at Florida. At pick #19, selecting Toney might be a reach, but a trade back situation is likely with Ron Rivera building his roster for the long term.
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*Draft grades cross referenced with TDN grades
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