Before Dave Gettleman was booted from his GM seat, he used his 2021 first-round pick on wide receiver Kadarius Toney. His ability to make people miss and his explosiveness stood out to the general manager, and the Giants did end up with a 2022 first-round pick because of their trade down with the Chicago Bears.
One year later, it seemed as if the Giants made a mistake that will haunt them for a long time. This Sunday, Toney will miss his second straight game of the season against Chicago. Through two games, the former Florida wide receiver has caught two passes for zero yards. A big, fat zero.
Let’s put it this way: we regular sports fans have the exact number of receiving yards as an NFL wide receiver. This season is a critical year for quarterback Daniel Jones and not having weapons on the field hurts the evaluation process.
Nonetheless, our focus is on Kadarius Toney. The Giants have not moved on from him, and it’s a big question why. But, let’s go back and explore why this is the case.
Kadarius Toney Showed Flashes Of Stardom In 2021
Hear me out: Toney showed he was capable of being a superstar wide receiver. No, don’t go looking at what he did in week one last season. I warned you to don’t…
You probably looked at his stat line and thought I was crazy even to write that first sentence. But, he began to show what he could do in week three against New Orleans.
What are your first impressions about Kadarius Toney in the NFL?
— Dynasty Nerds ???? (@DynastyNerds) October 6, 2021
Stats vs New Orleans:
9 Targets
6 Rec
78 Yds
1 Car
1 Yd
⬇️All Targets vs the Saints⬇️ pic.twitter.com/gSLeJ6LCYB
But, the game we really saw him breakout was against the Dallas Cowboys. Toney was targeted 13 times, finishing with ten catches for 189 yards. Oh, and he made Trevon Diggs look foolish.
Where did you draft Kadarius Toney in your rookie drafts this season?
— Dynasty Nerds ???? (@DynastyNerds) October 14, 2021
Stats vs Dallas:
13 Targets
10 Rec
189 Yds
1 Car
7 Yds
⬇️All Targets vs the Cowboys⬇️ pic.twitter.com/lVzEDoeDJl
Once he gets the ball, he can make magic happen. Whether it’s making people miss or turning a simple screen into a big positive gain, we thought this was the start. The start of a great rookie season for Kadarius.
Well, that was farther from the truth. Toney would not surpass 40 receiving yards the rest of the season and missed seven of the next eleven games.
But, injuries happen to everyone. Of course, with a new coaching regime in place with Brian Daboll and a new GM in Joe Schoen, things looked on the up and up.
Hold Your Horses, Man.
Well, things couldn’t get worse. But, it did. Heading into this season, Toney was battling injuries up to the first regular season game. He only recorded two catches for 23 yards, but at least he was on the field!
Wait, my apologies. He actually recorded ZERO catches. Toney did carry the ball twice for 23 yards, but had no receptions or receiving yards whatsoever.
Things changed in week two. He would actually catch two balls… For zero yards. He did make a big play that would’ve put the Giants in good field position against Carolina. But, when things aren’t going your way, it really doesn’t.
An OPI call negates what was a big play from Kadarius Toney. Set the Giants too far back for them to pick up a first down.
— Talkin’ Giants (@TalkinGiants) September 18, 2022
Gillian then absolutely bombs a punt to the end zone to set the Panthers at the their 20.
6-3 NYG
A hamstring issue kept the wide receiver out for week three against Dallas, and he will miss out week four against the Chicago Bears. Put this into perspective: the Giants will only have four fully healthy receivers for Sunday’s game: Kenny Golladay, Richie James, Darius Slayton and David Sills.
You’re probably wondering about Wan’Dale Robinson, the Giants’ second-round pick from this year’s draft. He’s also hurt.
Kadarius Toney needs to get healthy soon. Sure, he has promise. But, only when he’s able to stay on the field. So far, he has failed completely. Calling him a bust is a strong word. Unfortunately, he’s very close to the definition of it.
For the record, the Giants could have Micah Parsons instead of trading down last year. Daniel Jones wouldn’t have been the victim of this if Parsons was a Giant
Micah Parsons is the 2nd best player in the NFL pic.twitter.com/mpbXe0m9cU
— Kaz⚡️ (@KazTooWavy) October 1, 2022
Dave Gettleman, you should never be allowed to work in the front office again. Because of you, the Giants are stuck with a receiver who can’t stay healthy. I hope Toney proves me wrong. This team needs him.
Thank you for reading! If you want more on the New York Giants, make sure to visit Belly Up Sports every week and follow me on Twitter! Thank you for your continuing support, and be on the lookout for more quality content! Also, check out my podcast here!
