Ideal team-prospect fits for the 2021 NFL Draft

NFL Team: New York Jets – Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida

Kadarius Toney

No matter if the Jets draft a quarterback second overall – which I believe is the way they will go – or stick with Sam Darnold, they need to bring in a dynamic separator and space player to support their signal-caller.

The offensive line still needs some work, but by drafting Mekhi Becton in the first round last year, which has perennial All-Pro potential and some of the free agency additions they made, they could steal someone like Joe Thuney from their division rival Patriots. Still, I think, surrounding their signal-caller with weapons should be the focus here.

I was a big fan of Baylor’s Denzel Mims, in the second round last year as a boundary receiver, but Kadarius Toney is a guy that could bring a lot of juice and be a nightmare to match up within the slot.

He is still somewhat developing as a complete route-runner, but you see some flashes of nasty footwork, with those hop steps and sudden breaks after lulling defenders into stopping their feet.

While you allow him to perfect his craft, you can manufacture touches for him and use him as a gadget player to bind defenders on-orbit motions and speed sweep fakes. He has some very unique moves to make people miss in space and can pull away from them with his speed.

In reality, I would think Toney will go somewhere in the latter half of the NFL Draft first round, but if he makes it to the start of the second, for me, it’s a no-brainer. Maybe he could be a trade-up target, if he gets to 28 and the Saints are looking to build up draft capital to jump the Packers.

He is not physical as a Deebo Samuel, but just think of how he could be used in that top of offense as a YAC specialist, with Mike LaFleur coming over from San Francisco with Robert Saleh as offensive coordinator.