The Baltimore Ravens may not have a desperate need at the wide receiver position, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t explore golden opportunities that come their way.
One such opportunity exists with former New York Giants first-round pick, Kadarius Toney.
Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reported on Friday that the Giants are “looking to trade” their 2021 first-rounder, and the Ravens are a team that should absolutely come calling.
Toney’s brief career in New York has been somewhat of a rollercoaster, but when on the field, he’s shown plenty of promise. He’s exactly the type of player the Ravens should take a chance on.
The Ravens should make a serious attempt to trade for Kadarius Toney
The 20th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Toney was somewhat of a surprise pick in the top-20, but the Giants took a chance on his talent and believed his versatile skillset would go a long way in their offense.
When healthy, Toney somewhat proved them right. The former Florida standout hauled in 39 catches for 420 yards in 10 games including a 189-yard performance in Week 5.
There were flashes, although Toney battled numerous injuries which limited his overall production. So why are the Giants looking to trade Toney less than a full calendar year after drafting him 20th overall?
In short, the new Giants regime doesn’t seem to be thrilled with Toney’s attitude and he’s rubbed many in the organization the wrong way.
If this was the old Giants regime of Dave Gettleman and Joe Judge, there’s no chance they’d be moving on this quickly. But the new regime of Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll has no ties to him — it’s a fresh start for everyone.
The Giants are willing to move on, and while Toney certainly has his share of off-field concerns, trading for him would absolutely be worth the risk for a Ravens team flush with Day 3 capital.
If the Ravens could land Toney for a fourth-round pick, it’s a no-brainer. Toney is a legitimate first-round talent and it’s not like the Ravens don’t have fourth-round picks to burn (with five this year).
The speedy, elusive Toney would be an excellent complement to the likes of Marquise Brown, Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, and James Proche joining a young and promising Ravens wide receiver corps.
The Giants might be looking to move on, but Toney’s talent is evident. Given how little it might take to acquire him, the risk is more than worth the reward.