At least one coach thinks the Giants’ first-round pick was a coup. Urban Meyer wanted to pick Florida receiver Kadarius Toney with the 25th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft and it “broke his heart” when Big Blue scooped him up five picks earlier.
“I’ve gotten to know him over the last couple weeks and obviously my connection with [Gators] coach [Dan] Mullen and those guys,” Meyer said on ESPN. “You watch [Toney] play, he’s a human highlight reel.”
Instead of Toney, the Jaguars chose Clemson running back Travis Etienne, reuniting him with quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Meyer plans to use him similar to the way he used Percy Harvin in his days at Florida — in the backfield, in the slot and at receiver.
“He’s much more than a running back,” Meyer said of Etienne. “He’s a slash. We did not recruit him just because he’s a running back. We probably wouldn’t have. He’s a guy that had a lot of production in the passing game at Clemson. He’s got excellent hands and he’ll be dual trained.
“Those [dual-threat players] are hard to find, too, but if you can find one we know how to use him. With him I expect him [to make] an instant impact.”