Packers: 3 draft targets to finally give Aaron Rodgers the help he deserves
By John Buhler
Pick Analysis. Florida Gators. Kadarius Toney. player. 840. Scouting Report. WR. 2
He was a big reason for Florida’s best offensive season in years
It may be a different role for him, but there are reasons to believe former Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney should be the guy the Packers take at No. 29 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Along with quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts, the Gators had their best season in SEC play since 2016 and their best offensive campaign since Tim Tebow was their starting quarterback.
Toney leaves Gainesville with 120 career receptions for 1,590 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns. He also had 66 career rushing attempts for 580 yards and two additional trips to pay dirt. After three forgettable seasons, Toney showed up in a big way in 2020. He earned a First-Team All-SEC nod with 70 catches for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns in 11 games. His draft stock is on the rise.
Toney will either go in the latter part of the first round or the first half of the second round. While he’s no lock to go in day one like Pitts is, it is starting to feel like Toney will be coming off the board before his quarterback does. Then again, Trask has the potential to be the sixth of six quarterbacks taken in the first round in this upcoming spring’s draft. Toney will be a hot commodity this spring.
What could be a potential downside to using the No. 29 overall pick on Toney is that he only has one year of major contributions in the SEC. Another issue could be that he played in a great offensive system that got the most out of his talent under head coach Dan Mullen. Then again, if he can get acclimated to cold weather, Toney can slot in and make plays for Green Bay as a rookie.