New York Giants alternate universe: Passing on Kadarius Toney in 2021 NFL draft
During the 2021 NFL draft, in a shocking turn of events, New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman traded back from pick No. 11 to No. 20 in a swap with the Bears that landed quarterback Justin Fields in Chicago.
The selection of wide receiver Kadarius Toney at pick No. 20 that followed was one of the more regrettable picks in recent memory for the Giants.
Bleacher Report recently released a list re-drafting every team's worst pick over the last five years, and in this alternate universe, the Giants had a chance for a do-over. Instead of Toney, they selected offensive lineman Christian Darrisaw.
Original Pick: WR Kadarius Toney at No. 20 (2021)
This one was a bit of a toss-up between offensive lineman Evan Neal (2022) and Toney, but Neal is at least still on the roster and will likely play out his rookie contract with the Giants.
Meanwhile, Toney played in just 12 games for New York, making five starts and posting a stat line of 41 catches, 420 yards and three touchdowns.
The wideout was traded in October of his second season and won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs, but he wasn't a major factor in the Chiefs offense and is currently not on an NFL roster.
New Pick: OT Christian Darrisaw (originally 23rd by the Minnesota Vikings)
The rationale for the new pick here is the domino effect it would have created. With Andrew Thomas and Darrisaw at offensive tackle, the Giants wouldn't have taken Neal at No. 7 the following year and then, essentially, would be able to exchange Toney for Drake London, Garrett Wilson or Chris Olave.
Toney most certainly had the talent to be a contributor on an NFL team, both as a wide receiver and as a returner. Still, he was too much of a headache and did not complete his sophomore season before the Giants parted ways.
Toney won two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs. He also spent time with the Cleveland Browns, where his tenure is somewhat comical as he was elevated to the active roster for one game, where he muffed a punt and was called for a taunting penalty before his release days later.
Subbing Darrisaw in place of Toney would have given the Giants two really nice pieces at tackle. It's interesting to think about the possibility of the Giants having a formidable offensive line while they still had Saquon Barkley on the roster.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Alabama Leading Pack for Elite West Coast Talent
Alabama Leading Pack for Elite West Coast Talent originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Alabama Crimson Tide already secured Kalen DeBoer's first West Coast commitment with four-star inside offensive lineman Samuelu Utu and are closing on another. Advertisement On3's Steve Wiltfong revealed that Alabama is out in front for four-star quarterback Tayden Kaawa from the 2026 class. Kaawa's other schools include the BYU Cougars and Boise State Broncos. He is a native of Utah and attends Orem High School. The prospect comes in at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds. The quarterback recently took a trip to Alabama, with the Crimson Tide hosting him on June 20 for an official visit. Kaawa revealed that Alabama's development of talent is what led him to put the Crimson Tide at the top of his list. Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images 'I'd say it would be Alabama because I know how the development is there,' Kaawa said. 'I know how they put players in the NFL.' Advertisement Kaawa is a four-star prospect and the No. 12 quarterback in the 2026 class, per On3 Sports. The numbers back up what Kaawa said about sending players to the next level. Since 2009, Alabama has had 133 players drafted to the NFL. The Crimson Tide had seven players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine has Alabama as the frontrunner, giving the Crimson Tide an 88.3% chance to land him. Hawaii (2.5%) ranks second, followed by the California Golden Bears (2.1%) and the Oregon Ducks (1.8%). If Kaawa picks Alabama, DeBoer would have two quarterback commits from the 2026 class. The Crimson Tide already has a pledge from four-star quarterback Jett Thomalla. Thomalla was in the news recently after performing well at the Elite 11 Finals. Advertisement Alabama opens the second year of DeBoer's tenure against the Florida State Seminoles on August 30. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Related: Ty Simpson Reveals What Alabama Was Missing Last Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Skip Bayless Has Accused Tom Brady Of Being A 'Sellout'
Skip Bayless Has Accused Tom Brady Of Being A 'Sellout' originally appeared on The Spun. Skip Bayless has stuck by Tom Brady's side for almost 20 years now. But backing LeBron James? Well that might've been a bridge too far— even for the GOAT. Advertisement In a video posted to Bayless' YouTube channel, the former "Undisputed" debater labeled Brady as a "sellout" since walking away from the NFL and also accused the seven-time Super Bowl champ of "kissing LeBron's ass" for all to see at Fanatics Fest in NYC last weekend. "Tell me I'm wrong about this," Bayless began. "LeBron James just can't help himself. He just can't hide his runaway insecurity over knowing deep, deep down that he will never ever be seen as the greatest basketball player ever by those who really know the game, by anyone who really matters." "And yeah, I know that over the weekend Tom Brady called LeBron James the greatest ever while sitting up on stage with LeBron at the Fanatics Fest in New York City," he added. "What a sellout Tom Brady has become post-football off the field, and he was undoubtedly the greatest football player ever on the field." Advertisement The rant continued from Bayless. "When it comes to maximizing his money, Tom Brady will say and do whatever is required to polish his good guy image," Skip argued. "He loves everybody and everybody loves Tom Brady. And he even kissed LeBron's ass in front of LeBron because he knows how many billions of followers, how many fans LeBron has and what a powerful financial alliance he could form with the King post-football, probably post-basketball for LeBron." May 25, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Tom Brady prior to the IndyCar Series 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Skip has long been one of LeBron's harshest critics. So to see arguably his favorite athlete call James "the greatest ever" in front of a live audience— he took it personal (insert Jordan meme). Advertisement Bayless has gone over chapter and verse why he believes Michael Jordan will always be better basketball player than LeBron. And believe it or not, this latest argument is (slightly) more well-adjusted than we've seen in years past from the ex-ESPN personality. Related: Beloved NFL Super Bowl Champion Dead At 83 Skip Bayless Has Accused Tom Brady Of Being A 'Sellout' first appeared on The Spun on Jun 29, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Guatemala beats Canada on penalty kicks in Gold Cup quarterfinal thriller
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — José Morales sent Guatemala to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup with the clincher over Canada in a 6-5 penalty-kick decision after a 1-1 draw on Sunday. Rubio Rubín scored the tying goal with a header in the 69th minute for Guatemala, which faces the Costa Rica-United States winner in the semifinals in St. Louis on Wednesday. Mexico plays Honduras in the other semifinal in Santa Clara, California. The championship is in Houston on July 6. The seven-round shootout was a fitting end to a fast-paced and feisty contest that went down as one of the best of this biennial tournament for North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The blue-and-white-clad fans of Guatemala flocked to U.S. Bank Stadium and made the crowd sound almost like a sold-out NFL game inside the home of the Minnesota Vikings with the translucent roof. Jonathan David scored on a penalty kick in the 30th minute for Canada, which won its group with two wins and one draw. Dayne St. Clair, an MLS All-Star who plays just a few miles away for Minnesota United, made two saves for the Reds in regulation against a consistent if erratic attack as Guatemala had an 11-5 edge in shot attempts and a 58% possession rate. Canada forward Jacob Sheffelburg was ejected in first-half stoppage time for a second yellow card, after lowering his elbow during a mid-air collision for the ball that knocked Guatemala defender Stheven Robles to the ground. Oscar Santis had a shot for Guatemala from just outside the box off a high-bouncing ball that he booted over the top of the net in the 53rd minute, but he set up Rubín's header with a textbook cross from the left sideline. Guatemala, which finished second in its group with two wins and one loss, went second during the penalty-kick thriller and nearly blew it when José Pinto sailed his shot over the net after Kenderson Navarro stopped Cyle Larin's attempt to start the sixth round. After Luc Rollet's shot for Canada bounced off the crossbar, the defender pulled his shirt up over his face in frustration. Then Morales won it by going dead center as St. Clair dived left. ___ AP soccer:
