7 Senior Bowl players for the Lions to watch out for on offense

Kadarius Toney, WR – Florida

The top receiver in Mobile this week is none other than Lions’ fan-favorite, Alabama’s DeVonta Smith, fresh off his Heisman winning, all-world season. However, Smith will be there for interviews only and the next best player is an explosive wideout from Gainesville – Kadarius Toney.

Expected to check in at around 5-foot-11 and 190-pounds, Toney may not be the prototypical size, but Toney is electric. If you watched any college football this year, you likely saw how the Florida offense was cooking all year and a big part of that was Toney developing from gadget player to rounded offensive weapon, boosting his stock in the process.

Toney threatens to be drafted at the end of the first round. However, given the depth at receiver, there’s definitely a chance he’s available at the top of the second for the Lions.

Watching him play, and how he was utilized by Flordia head coach Dan Mullen, you would think you’re watching the Kansas City Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill. Now let’s be clear, Toney does not have the same elite long speed as Hill (whose high school 200m time was 0.02s behind the Olympic bronze medal-winning time in 2016), but he’s still incredibly twitched up and athletic.

https://twitter.com/ESPNCFB/status/1312463300815446020?s=20

Watch the clip above to see an explosive touchdown versus South Carolina. Toney uses some gorgeous footwork to cross over the linebacker inside, gets the ball in space, and then somehow shrugs off five defensive players within arm’s reach for the score.

Toney’s footwork is dynamic, and this is what will be most exciting in Mobile. I’m looking forward to seeing that silky footwork make a lot of corners look foolish, especially when he’s lined up with a two way go. It’ll be interesting to see how he wins when he’s on the numbers and may go a long way towards whether he is a first-round or a top 50 player.

We won’t be able to see Toney’s run after the catch (RAC) ability in practice, but he’s a bull considering his relatively slender 190-pound frame. He is slippery, yes, but physical too and his broken tackles aren’t just agility and quicks.

For a Lions team with an empty receiver room, Toney would be incredibly valuable as an offensive weapon. I imagine he will do most of his damage out of the slot and would need a creative offensive mind to get the best out of him, but I could see him making a big impact at the next level in the right system.