Nick

Toon

A crisp route runner with excellent hands, the 6-foot-2, 215 pound Toon’s stock was hurt by durability concerns. Toon plays big, and has the potential to be a playmaker on the outside. He lacks breakaway speed, however, and should be more of a move-the-chains type in New Orleans’ methodical short-passing attack. Any Saints’ skill player is worth monitoring in fantasy leagues, but Toon’s ceiling as a rookie will be WR5.

“His range and his hands remind me more of Colston,” Carmichael said. “He runs better than I think people give him credit. He timed real well at the Combine. I think that speed shows up on film.” Toon will compete with Lance Moore, Devery Henderson, and Adrian Arrington for playing time across from Colston.

It’s almost two inches shorter than his listed height. Toon’s pedigree and size-speed combo make him a borderline second-day prospect, but he’ll need to check out medically to have any chance of cracking round three. Battling chronic foot woes, Toon missed the Senior Bowl and will not work out at the Combine.

The good news is Toon was able to participate after battling a troublesome foot injury that marred his pre-Combine training. The bad news is he measured in smaller than expected (6'1 1/2, 215) and did not run as well as most foresaw. The foot is still the big worry with Toon. We don’t know how he checked out medically, so it’s hard to guess with any accuracy where he’ll be drafted.

Pauline also heard from a scout who timed Toon’s forty at 4.48. After failing to meet lofty expectations during his senior year due to multiple injuries, Toon ran a 4.54 “official” time at the Combine. Known for his crisp routes, Toon’s main deficiency will be is inability to stay healthy. We expect Toon to be an early third-day pick.

Per Pauline, Toon’s foot pain has resurfaced particularly while working on starts for the 40-yard dash. Toon’s primary asset is his size/speed combo, but it sounds like he won’t get to display it in Indianapolis. Originally a second-day prospect, Toon is going to fall in the draft because of these medical woes.

Toon already missed the Senior Bowl. Perhaps most notably, SI.com’s Tony Pauline refers to Toon’s foot as “surgically repaired,” so evidently he had a procedure done on the left foot of which we weren’t previously aware. A healthy Toon had second- and third-round grades from NFL scouts, but he’s suddenly littered with medical red flags. He needs to get healthy before the draft.

“At this juncture, it doesn’t appear to be anything serious,” said Al Toon, the former longtime Jets receiver. “He should be fine.” Nick missed 2011 spring practice and one game as a senior with a left foot injury, so this malady may be becoming chronic. Toon may still miss the Senior Bowl. Listed at 6-foot-3, 220 and expected to run in the 4.4s, Toon is a projected second-day pick.

Toon battled a chronic foot injury throughout his senior season, and one early-January report claimed he’s suffered a “significant” setback. Toon has early-round grades from NFL scouts, but he’s going to be red flagged medically.

Arrington, the veteran of the group at 26, has turned down offers from five other teams and is practicing in the slot. A torn meniscus cost undrafted Morgan the entire 2011 season. He’s learning the Z, or flanker position. Toon was a fourth-round pick this season and is being used as an X, or split end.