Wide Receiver Series – Short Brief #2: Kadarius Toney (& 2023 Prediction)

David Bell

Are you talking about quick feet mixed with good speed? How about feints and jigs to advance the ball and move the chains? If this is what you are thinking about, KT has it, and showed it, in 2022… even in his short time as a Kansas City Chief.

Toney Scores in Super Bowl LVII – Ashly Landis Photo Credit

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As with Skyy Moore, the payoff came with the play-calling set-up by Andy Reid in the Super Bowl as KT scored a TD and was part-parcel of the Chief’s winning their 3rd Lombardi. That the Chiefs won this game against a favored Philadelphia outfit was icing on the cake.

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In New York, the former first-round draft pick was passed on as a bust by the Giants. This is when Chief’s GM Brett Veach stepped in and signed Toney, giving the WR a second chance. Bringing former high draft picks to the Kingdom is something that Brett Veach watches for, and it will, barring a major injury, pay off big time in 2023. I was truly worried about Toney as he didn’t get the nod from Mahomes in the AFC Championship Game, perhaps due to an ankle sprain. Toney had zero targets. That changed in the NFL title game — the culmination of which was scoring a TD. After the game, he said:

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“It is the biggest game of my life. It was, for real.”

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Of course, I am a local yokel and ardent Chiefs fan, so you, dear reader, must consider that as I gush over the possibilities of Toney finally fulfilling his Round-One Draft status. The Giants decided to pass on him due to injuries and inability to stay on the field.

After arriving at the Kingdom very late, Toney took time to acclimate to the new environment. He was learning the ropes with a new Quarterback — and playbook — behind the curve. Brett Veach signed Kadarius on October 17th, well into the 2022 schedule. I have written about Brett Veach, and the method is to seek out former high-draft pick talent and bring them to town. Our Maverick GM keeps his ear to the ground and knows the talent that is drafted and in what round they were picked by other teams. Kadarius Toney fits that bill.

A couple of years ago, I wrote articles with the title indicating that Brett Veach “Leaves No Stone Unturned.” In Toney’s case, I believe the Veach has “BRUNG” in a player who will become the “possession WR” for QB Patrick Mahomes. Any time the chains need to be moved or yardage gained, Toney will be a huge target — something that has been missing since the departure of Sammy Watkins and then yes, last year, Tyreek Hill. With no true number-one WR, the Chiefs won the Super Bowl. Think about it: adding such a WR and combining it with being able to target the greatest TE in NFL history (Travis Kelce of course), will put the Chiefs over the top and earn them a trip to Super Bowl LVIII.

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Overall, Toney’s achievements in 2022 were: 14 receptions, 171 yards, and two touchdowns. He also gained 59 yards on five rushes (Jet Sweep). To be sure, these numbers are not stellar, but as a new WR in KC who didn’t play until November (essentially), along with five rushes for 59 yards and a score. the thing that you can see about Toney is that he has superb vision on the field, and once he has the ball in his mitts, he is dangerous — he becomes an Electrical Storm on the field of play. Here’s Toney showing off his skills against the Raiders (1:15):

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In KC, Toney quickly demonstrated the ability to break tackles and get YAC. In the Super Bowl, not only did Toney Score the go-ahead TD providing the Chiefs with a lead in the game, he then went on a tear with a magnificent 65-yard Punt Return that was literally icing on the cake. It set up the 2nd score on the same play to the opposite side of the field, where Patrick Mahomes targeted Skyy Moore.

To buttress my view, here is a video of all of the Toney catches in 2022 (7:31):

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I am excited about what Kadarius Toney brings to the offense in 2023. Again, it’s my view that Toney will emerge as a top NFL receiver this coming season and will end up being the WR with the most receiving yards. I hope you see the same potential. The Giants gave up on the 2021 draft choice (Pick #20) far too soon. As such, his acquisition became a huge benefit for the Chiefs and another feather in the cap of Brett Veach.

It is tough to pick a WR in the stable for the Chiefs that will gain 1,000 yards. I wrote about Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the first article of this series and predicted a big contribution from MVS in 2023. The way I see it, with Toney, MVS, and Travis Kelce, I can see Toney emerging as a”Top NFL WR.” He has the vision, evasiveness, quick feet, and speed to accomplish such a result. Of course, we can look back at the injury difficulties experienced by Toney with the Giants and think “what if.” Sometimes history does not repeat itself. In 2024, the Chiefs will travel to paradise and win their 4th Super Bowl on February 11th.

So of course, going along with my glaring positiveness about the 2023 Season and the 2024 Super Bowl… here you have it!

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David Bell — ArrowheadOne

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