PLAYER: Kadarius Toney.
COLLEGE: Florida.
TEAM: Kansas City Chiefs.
POSITION: Wide receiver.
HEIGHT: 6-0.
WEIGHT: 193.
DRAFT: Round 1, 20, 2021
2022 STATS: 16 catches, 171 yards, 2 touchdowns.
From David Tyree’s “Helmet Catch” to Malcolm Butler’s goal line interception, the Super Bowl is rife with stories of “B List” players who had a huge impact on the Super Bowl.
Tyree, of course, caught a 32-yard pass of his helmet with 59 seconds left that set up the Giants’ winning touchdown in a 17-14 upset of the undefeated Patriots. Tyree, a former sixth-round pick, had four receptions for 35 yards with no touchdowns during the regular season. He had three catches for 43 yards and one touchdown in Super Bowl XLII.
Butler had signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of West Alabama in 2014. His pick of a Russell Wilson pass with 20 seconds left in Super Bowl XLIX secured New England’s 28-24 win over the Seahawks. It was the first pick of Butler’s career. He became a starter the next season.
With Super Bowl LVII less than a week away, who will emerge as the unexpected star?
This is the second in a BetBasics.com series intended to find the player worth a Super Bowl parlay, or dare we say, an MVP trophy bet.
Troy Aikman fawns over Kadarius Toney as if he was the second coming of his former Dallas superstar Michael Irvin. He talks about Toney’s athleticism and big-play potential with a conviction that borders on adoration.
There’s no question that Toney, who clocked a 4.38 in the 40 and a vertical jump of 39 and one-half inches has the skillset of an elite receiver. But Toney has been more inconspicuous than elite in this first two seasons.
The fourth receiver picked in the 2021 NFL Draft, Toney has 55 catches for 591 yards and two touchdowns. The receivers taken before him – Ja’Marr Chase (168 for 2,501 and 22 TDs), Jaylen Waddle (179 for 2,371 and 14) and Devonta Smith (159 for 2112 and 12 TDs) – have created a wide gap. Heck, fourth-round pick Amon-Ra St. Brown (196 for 2073 and 11 TDs) has obliterated them all.
Toney quickly fell out of favor in New York, where the Giants made him the 20th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He was traded to the Chiefs midway through the 2022-23 season (where he made 14 of his 16 receptions) for a third and sixth round pick in the 2023 draft.
“When you get a trade like that, you think there’s something you have to weigh out,” tight end Travis Kelce said on his podcast. “Ever since he’s been in the building it’s, man this dude’s smart, man this dude’s crazy athletic, man this guy has a lot of confidence.”
Toney has been targeted nine times (six receptions for 45 yards) in the postseason. He was injured in the AFC Championship with a sprained ankle and is questionable for the Super Bowl. If he plays, the Chiefs have shown they will line up Toney all over the field, including the backfield, as they did with Tyreek Hill.
There’s no question that Kelce is the Chiefs’ No.1 receiving option and Marquez Valdes-Scantling has stepped up. The Eagles will surely focus on limiting Kelce which means another K.C. receiver will have to step up.
We took the Eagles giving 1.5 points and Toney to score a touchdown at BetMGM and got +550. With a meager $10 stake the payoff is $65 meaning we would net $55, good for a rack of K.C. ribs.