2021 NFL Draft: Wide receiver Kadarius Toney scouting report

Ideal draft destinations

It should be clear by now that Toney has a lot of upsides and will have a lot to offer come draft night. Since this year’s draft class is deep in wide receiver talent there is a good chance he falls to the second round. That being said, Toney has a lot of skills and techniques that NFL coaches will be partial to. It’s possible that one of the 32 NFL front offices might be so taken with Toney’s skillset that they draft him in the first round over more accomplished receivers.

No matter where Toney lands, he has a good chance to succeed once in the NFL. But there are always going to better spots than others for a prospect to land. Listed below are three teams that Toney should be crossing his fingers for, hoping they write his name on the draft card on April 29, 2021.

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns showed in 2020 that they have the talent to make the playoffs. But in an AFC North division stacked with talent, the Browns need to keep up with the opposition if it plans on being competitive in 2021. Odell Beckham Jr. missed 29 games in the last four seasons, including most of the 2020 season, so depending on him as a number one receiver is dicey heading forward. And in 2020, there wasn’t a single receiver that caught more than five passing touchdowns. Pretty disappointing for a quarterback considered one of the best statistical passers in college history.

Toney would bring some fresh blood into the receiver room and give Baker Mayfield a multi-use playmaker in the passing game. Mayfield’s rookie contract will be up in a few years and the Browns need to give him more offensive tools to see if he is the quarterback of the future for the Browns. The 2021 season will be essential for the Browns future, as it will serve as a plebiscite on whether Mayfield gets a huge contract extension or is gone after 2022.

Green Bay Packers

With the offseason drama surrounding Aaron Rodgers and his future with the Green Bay Packers, one thing seems to track universally: The front office messed up drafting a QB in the first round last year. Last season’s MVP looks far from being washed up in the NFL, taking the Packers to an NFC Championship for the second year in a row. He threw 48 touchdowns during the 2020 season (best in the NFL) and looked poised to take the team to Super Bowl LV before losing by less than a touchdown to the team that would go on to win the Lombardi Trophy.

Last year, most draft analysts thought the Packers would bring in an offensive playmaker with their first-rounder. Preferably a wide receiver who could assist Rodgers with the vertical passing game. Packers wide receiver Davante Adams caught 43 percent of the team’s passing touchdowns in 2020: That’s a lot of expectation hanging on the back of just one player, as talented as he is. Adams is also a free agent after 2021 and has a history of injuries, missing games in all but two of his seven seasons in the league. Even if the Packers extend Adams in 2021 it would benefit the entire offense if another dynamic pass-catcher was drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Toney would provide some versatility for the Packers’ offense, as he can be utilized in the passing or run game and has plenty of experience on trick plays. Spicing up the Packers’ offense would certainly convince Rodgers to stick around for the remainder of his career, a point of contention this offseason. Tampa Tom showed what a Hall of Fame quarterback can do when he moves on and prioritizes winning championships over “playing their entire career in one city”. The Packers will need to get this man weapons in the 2021 NFL Draft if they hope to see a Super Bowl.

Rodgers is one of the most technically advanced quarterbacks in NFL history. Meanwhile, the Packers front office has appeared stagnant at times during his career, refusing to spend big money in free agency or draft offensive playmakers early. Toney could help expand an already championship-caliber offensive program in Green Bay and diversify the playbook with his unique on-field strengths.

Philadelphia Eagles

Out of the three teams listed, the Philadelphia Eagles might be the best long-term destination for Toney in the 2021 NFL Draft. This may seem farfetched but his style of play would gel incredibly well with quarterback Jalen Hurts, who wins as a dual-threat playmaker, liable to take off if an avenue is open to him. Having a receiver like Toney who succeeds in motion and on jet sweep passes would give defenses whiplash, wondering which player to track at the snap.

Philadelphia of course has its own problems: Namely, an offseason that has exposed serious questions about its front office decision-making. And let’s not even go into their refusal to commit to Hurts as the starter this season after trading their former $128 million franchise quarterback for pocket change and a loose cigarette. Maybe the quarterbacks can play rock, paper, scissors for it? In the meantime, if Hurts can prove he is THE quarterback to lead this team, Toney will have plenty of avenues to succeed in a Hurts-centric offense past 2021.

The 2021 NFL Draft will provide Toney plenty of avenues to succeed in the pros, so long as he can continue to build upon last seasons progress. If Toney finds himself in a system that plays to his strengths there is no telling how far he could go in the NFL. Many draft analysts are under-selling Toney as a prospect, including a Pro Football Network profile that doubted whether “…he’ll ever be anything more than a very productive No. 3 wideout in the NFL”.

Toney’s injury history and one season of production can make him an easy prospect to hedge your bets on, that much is clear from mainstream sports analysts. But all his numbers and film indicate this is a receiver who has barely scratched the surface of his potential. Toney has a high ceiling in the NFL, even if it takes a season or two to be realized.

For a smart team that prioritizes long-term roster construction over winning-now, Toney is everything you are looking for in the 2021 NFL Draft. Pair this man with a competent quarterback in the NFL and there is a better than average chance he sees a multi-million dollar contract after his rookie deal. As Naruto said to Sasuke: Believe it!