Kadarius Toney Super Bowl heroics is a terrible look for the Giants
The New York Giants gave Kadarius Toney to the Kansas City Chiefs for very little. He ended up being a difference maker in the Super Bowl.
Just ahead of the 2022 NFL trade deadline, the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs agreed on a deal that sent Kadarius Toney, a former first-round draft pick in just his second season, to Kansas City.
The Chiefs gave up a compensatory third-round pick and a sixth-round pick for Toney. At worst, the Chiefs send out two third-round or worse picks, and at best, a single sixth-round pick. That’s it.
In the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win on Sunday, Toney had a receiving touchdown and returned a punt for 65 yards avoiding a tackle and following his blockers to perfection, the longest punt return in Super Bowl history.
Giants gave up on Kadarius Toney too early for too little
The Giants opting to move on from Kadarius Toney itself is not a problem. New York hired a new coach last offseason in Brian Daboll, and with that may come changes, including the peripheral parts of the coaching staff all the way down to player personnel.
Toney was drafted with one coaching staff and scheme in mind, and that may no longer fit with who Toney is as a player.
The Giants giving up on him midway through his second season, though, is a bit of a problem. He’s a former first-round draft pick, so there’s potential untapped value. Plus, it’s not as if he’s a one-dimensional player. He can work in special teams or on offense.
Then, the other issue is that the Giants gave up on him for far too little. If you’re going to move on from him, that’s fine, but the Giants basically got nothing out of him in the trade.
So, to recap…
The Giants used a first-round pick on Toney in 2021. Then, they got rid of him for two late-round draft picks before he even played two full seasons. And months after they traded him, he contributed in a significant way to a Super Bowl-winning team.
Toney and the Chiefs win. The Giants lose.
Bad, bad trade for New York.
