He’s not the only Florida pass-catcher expected to be off the board in the first 32 picks, though. Toney, who made the leap in 2020 from gadget player to every-down receiver, is considered a late-first to early-second round prospect. However, most mock drafts have him going in the first round, and McShay is even more bullish on him.
He has Toney being selected 20th by Chicago, where he’ll aid whoever is starting at quarterback for the Bears (more on that later).
Chicago is likely out of reach to trade up for a top-five QB, at least without completely leveraging the organization’s future. So it might as well give Andy Dalton — and his eventual replacement — another playmaker to work with, even after placing the franchise tag on Allen Robinson II. Toney is a different kind of receiver: He isn’t polished, but he’s versatile and explosive. Get the ball to him and he’ll make things happen. The Bears could use that skill set on offense.
The Bears may be moving on from Robinson if the two can’t reach a deal this season, and Toney would give their offense some certainty moving forward. However, there won’t be much certainty on that side of the ball until the team figures out its quarterback situation.
It has officially moved on from Mitch Trubisky, who signed with Buffalo, and it’s likely Dalton will beat out the incumbent Nick Foles for the job. But Dalton is past his prime, and the team likely needs to find another solution for the long-term.
NEXT: Kyle Trask climbs the draft boards