The Giants surprised many by trading back in the first round (a first for GM Dave Gettleman) of April’s draft, where they would eventually select Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney 20th overall. A late-bloomer who didn’t break out until his senior year in Gainesville, Toney has the athletic traits necessary to be a successful NFL wide receiver, though his early Giants tenure hasn’t exactly gone to plan.
Already thought of as a redundancy with Sterling Shepard seemingly entrenched as New York’s slot receiver, Toney’s rookie minicamp was a disaster with the 22-year-old unable to finish either of his two practices, having one session cut short due to injury and another because of an equipment issue (he practiced barefoot because his cleats were bothering him). Toney didn’t join his teammates for voluntary workouts, sitting out three weeks of practice before arriving for Tuesday’s mandatory minicamp in East Rutherford. The 6’0,” 193-pound Toney had already signed a waiver, protecting him in the event of an injury, but still chose not to attend OTAs, only resurfacing after agreeing to a four-year, $13.72-million contract with a team option for a fifth year. That’s unusual for a rookie as players, especially those early in their NFL development, are typically eager to get as many reps as possible during the offseason.
Toney showed flashes at this week’s minicamp, impressing with his explosiveness, but again was only present for two practices (he was excused for a family emergency on Thursday) and didn’t finish Tuesday’s session, bowing out early after slipping on several occasions. Trying to be as diplomatic as possible, team beat reporter Dan Duggan of The Athletic described Toney’s absence from OTAs as “bizarre,” noting that the Giants were taken aback by his decision not to show, even though those workouts were technically voluntary. Duggan also notes Toney has yet to catch a ball from starter Daniel Jones, working exclusively with the Giants’ second-team offense.
Duggan admitted Toney has gotten off to an “inauspicious” start, though coaches including special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey continue to rave about his quickness and athleticism. Toney will have plenty of time to make his mark at Giants training camp this summer, though he certainly has some catching up to do in terms of building chemistry with Jones.
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