5 things to know about new Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney

On Thursday, news broke that the Kansas City Chiefs had traded for New York Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney (more on that here).

Here are five things to know about the newest addition to the Chiefs roster:

1. Coming out of Florida, Toney drew many comparisons to Tyreek Hill.

While even Chiefs fans can admit there is no duplicating Hill, the lateral agility and acceleration do warrant some Hill comparisons. Where their games differ most is in the raw straight-line speed.

Toney is not a classic vertical threat like Hill was, or Marquez Valdes-Scantling presently is for the Chiefs. Expect to see Toney running across formations on jet sweeps and being predominantly targeted out of the slot.

2. The best way to describe Toney is a "weapon."

Toney brings so much to the table with his versatility. He adds yet another wrinkle to the Chiefs' offense by being able to carry the ball like a running back, line up out wide in the slot, field punts and even throw the ball.

Head coach Andy Reid has always enjoyed having former quarterbacks on the roster; Toney has already attempted three passes in his NFL career.

3. He's still only just 23 years old.

The Chiefs will have Toney under team control through the end of the 2025 season if they exercise his fifth-year option. Since he was drafted with the 20th overall pick in 2021, the Chiefs have that extra year of control for him.

This provides some long-term stability to the Chiefs' receiving corps, which could potentially be losing JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman this offseason.

4. There's a reason the Chiefs were able to acquire such a recent former first-round pick.

Teams rarely trade former first-round picks, especially after only a year on an NFL roster. There's undoubtedly some baggage coming with Toney to Kansas City. He's struggled to get on the field, playing just 12 of 24 due to COVID-19 and some injury issues.

Additionally, he's been outspoken about his usage and role in the offense. By some measures, he could be labeled a complainer based on his performance and questionable injuries that kept him off the field.

5. Let's say the obvious: Patrick Mahomes is an upgrade from Daniel Jones.

With 420 career yards and no touchdowns in his NFL career, the only direction for Toney is up. Catching his first career touchdown from Mahomes certainly would be an upgrade over Jones.

There's no doubt — the Chiefs are taking a gamble on him. But going from Jones and Joe Judge (in 2021) to Mahomes and Reid should create many reasons for optimism.

And here’s a good thing: Mahomes already approves.