After the 2022 NFL Draft, it was difficult to say whether the New England Patriots made a mistake by drafting Tyquan Thornton in the second round.
Baylor’s speedster wasn’t expected to be drafted this high, but it’s not fair to label Thornton a bust without giving him a chance to prove himself on the field first. But now that Thornton’s sample size has grown to two years, it couldn’t be clearer that this is another unfortunate pick at a notable offensive line position for the Patriots.
Thornton did next to nothing in a Patriots uniform. His rookie season was delayed by a preseason injury, sparking talk that his razor-thin frame couldn’t handle the NFL physical. He ended up recording 22 receptions for 247 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games. There is certainly room for improvement, but how has Thornton fared this new campaign?
Instead of improving this season, he regressed and went virtually unnoticed on a Patriots roster starved of offensive talent. Thornton again struggled with injury problems and didn’t do much in the nine games he saw on the field. Just 13 receptions for 91 yards and no touchdowns.
Few NFL receivers can accomplish that feat in one game. When Thornton did play, he played just 42 percent of the team’s offensive snaps and was sidelined by injuries to Kendrick Bourne and JuJu Smith-Schuster. He’s behind DeVante Parker, rookie Demario Douglas and outcast Jalen Reagor on the depth chart. “The earlier you get the players, the better,” Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh once said. It’s not rocket science, but Groh got what he wanted from Thornton. He famously ran a 4.28 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
The only problem, and a big one, is that Thornton can’t compare his sprint speed to anything else. It has problems with sharpening. This means that despite your speed, you won’t be able to open the door. By the way, Thornton’s biggest play of the season wasn’t in the passing game (his longest reception was 15 yards), but on the last play.
To make matters worse, after the Patriots used the 50th overall pick on Thornton, three receivers from 52-54 came off the board in a row.
Here are the stats from last season:Player A: 32 receptions, 514 yards, 2 touchdowns.
Player B: 63 receptions, 1,140 yards, 5 touchdowns.Player C: 21 receptions, 244 yards, 1 TD.Player A is Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts and Player B is George Pickens of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Player C is Skye Moore of the Kansas City Chiefs.The Patriots would be better served by any of those three players than Thornton. At this point, it seemed like a no-brainer for the Patriots to pass on Pickens, and rightfully so, though his commitment to the Georgia product was questioned at times.
Pierce had two solid seasons with the Colts, and it’s not hard to believe he’ll have the same level of production with the Patriots. Thornton’s stats are somewhat similar to Moore’s, but Moore has one thing about Thornton that he will never accomplish in his career: It’s a Super Bowl appearance.
It was clearly a mistake for the Patriots to select Thornton over Pierce, Pickens and Moore. Thornton’s selection is a red flag for Groh, who led the majority of New England’s draft picks that year, and shouldn’t be taken lightly as a new era for the Patriots begins with Jerod Mayo being turned over to Bill Belichick.
There isn’t much sand in the hourglass for Thornton to prove the doubters wrong. He’s entering his crucial third season, but with so many questions surrounding New England’s offense, there’s no question he’ll be a difference maker this season. Despite what Thornton has shown thus far, he appears to be the latest departure at wide receiver for the Patriots, joining the likes of Chad Jackson and Aaron Dobson.
