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WR Tyquan Thornton, NE (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Faust
- Start date
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
It’s important that he’s dominating Agholor & Bourne. He’s playing outside and has a pretty diverse route tree. Def a lot to be optimistic about, but the upside is probably capped for the reasons you stated.
Dwayne Hoover
Footballguy
I think he is flying under the radar. Jones could have hit him for a big play on Monday night too, that was missed.
I also dont think Pats will have all these receivers next week, someone will get traded.
The Frankman
Footballguy
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
5 under-the-radar Patriots players that could break out in 2023
...if there was ever an opportunity for him to break out, it would be this year with Bill O’Brien overseeing what could be a much-improved Patriots offense.
Tyquan Thornton
One big reason for that is they spent a second-round draft pick on Tyquan Thornton in 2022. As a rookie, the former Baylor standout landed smack-dab in a Patriots offense without a real identity under Matt Patricia......if there was ever an opportunity for him to break out, it would be this year with Bill O’Brien overseeing what could be a much-improved Patriots offense.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
I will echo what others have said about Thornton. He looks great so far . . . in shorts and t-shirts. Last year, he didn't look as good (or perform as well) in full pads and with full contact. He suffered an undisclosed injury that caused him to miss time at Baylor, and last year he suffered a broken clavicle that put him on IR to start the season. He looks fast in no contact situations when no one can touch him . . . but from what I remember last season, he easily got redirected on routes and struggled to get open. I have heard all offseason the Pats have high hopes for him this year, but the beat guys are suggesting we probably need to pump the brakes until they start playing actual football in practice.
Boston
Footballguy
Besides this will add they are lining him up all over including the slot...my guess is they are hoping he can become a legit playmaker (which they desperately need) so they are figuring out different ways to get the ball in his hands...if he can develop into a playmaker that would be a huge boost for this offense.
Lansdowne
Footballguy
I’m a Pats fan in desperate need of WR help in my dynasty league… and I’m not touching him (we don’t have taxi squads otherwise I’d reconsider). Wasn’t a fan of the Thornton pick with Pickens still on the board. I’ve heard it all: different skill sets, attitude concerns, etc. Pickens may be a headcase but he’s a vastly better, more talented WR than Thornton. Thornton is a wiry framed track star with small hands and wrists for a WR and plays on a team that lacks a QB who elevates the talent around him. I can’t see him as being more than a situational deep threat and that’s if he can even stay on the field.
King of the Jungle
Footballguy
I appreciate the Patriots helping me eliminate receivers from my draft board after they select them. Takes a few away from consideration anyhow.
rockaction
Footballguy
I get what you're saying, but it's not totally on point. This is a little bit of a faulty premise in this player's case. He was on nobody's dynasty rookie draft board until the Patriots reached and took him in the second. Even then, he still went late. I think people expected a flame-out, and it looks to be (only looks to be because things can change in a heartbeat) like that is the case.
King of the Jungle
Footballguy
Not on point? Okay, so the story is not over for all of the receivers they have drafted. Below is their track record. It is my opinion that I am on point that they do not have success drafting this position. I will give you 2009, as they knocked it out of the park in the 7th round.
2023
| 6 | 187 | Kayshon Boutte | WR | LSU |
| 6 | 210 | Demario Douglas | WR | Liberty |
| 2 | 50 | Tyquan Thornton | WR | Baylor |
| 7 | 242 | Tre Nixon | WR | UCF |
| 1 | 32 | N'Keal Harry | WR | Arizona State |
| 6 | 210 | Braxton Berrios | WR | Miami (FL) |
| 4 | 112 | Malcolm Mitchell | WR | Georgia |
| 7 | 244 | Jeremy Gallon | WR | Michigan |
| 2 | 59 | Aaron Dobson | WR | Marshall |
| 4 | 102 | Josh Boyce | WR | TCU |
| 7 | 235 | Jeremy Ebert | WR | Northwestern |
| 3 | 90 | Taylor Price | WR | Ohio |
| 3 | 83 | Brandon Tate | WR | North Carolina |
| 7 | 232 | Julian Edelman | WR | Kent State |
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
It’s remarkable how terrible they’ve been at drafting WRs. Obviously for many many years it wasn’t a real issue ultimately, but it’s just so hard to believe some successful team otherwise could get it so wrong so often.
rockaction
Footballguy
You misunderstood my point. It's that nobody had Tyquan on their board anyway and that needle barely moved when the Patriots drafted him.
It's precisely because they're so bad at drafting receivers (your ultimate point and the one you're fixated on incorrectly) that the needle barely moved for this guy in rookie drafts.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
No one can stake a claim that NE has done a good job developing their own receivers, but as far as drafting goes, they haven't invested as much as other teams have. Since someone brought up Edelman from 2009, here were all the spots WR were picked in the Top 50 since that draft. Others can decide which is worse . . . using top picks on WR multiple times, or using those picks on other positions. The point here is not who was selected with the picks, but where the picks were used.
TEN - 5, 18, 20, 30, 34, 40
PHI - 10, 19, 20, 21, 42
SFO - 10, 25, 30, 36, 44
NYG - 12, 20, 29, 40, 43
MIN - 22, 22, 23, 23, 29
CAR - 24, 28, 39, 40, 41
CIN - 4, 5, 9, 33
NYJ - 10, 34, 37, 43
DEN - 15, 22, 40, 46
CLE - 15, 36, 39, 50
BAL - 22, 25, 26, 27
LVR - 4, 7, 12
JAC - 5, 39, 42
ATL - 6, 8, 26
BUF - 8, 37, 41
NOS - 11, 20, 47
HOU - 21, 27, 44
MIA - 6, 14
LAC - 7, 21
TBB - 7, 39
CHI - 7, 45
LAR - 8, 33
DET - 12, 44
ARI - 13, 47
WAS - 16, 22
DAL - 17, 24
SEA - 20, 45
IND - 29, 34
NEP - 32, 50
GBP - 34, 50
KCC - 26
PIT - 49
More of the consistent winning teams are grouped at the bottom than the top . . . which coincides with the teams having long-term top QB as well. NEP, GBP, and PIT were the only teams that didn't draft a WR in the Top 30 picks. Clearly, PIT has knocked it out of the park in drafting a number of successful WR later in the draft. NE, not so much.
TEN - 5, 18, 20, 30, 34, 40
PHI - 10, 19, 20, 21, 42
SFO - 10, 25, 30, 36, 44
NYG - 12, 20, 29, 40, 43
MIN - 22, 22, 23, 23, 29
CAR - 24, 28, 39, 40, 41
CIN - 4, 5, 9, 33
NYJ - 10, 34, 37, 43
DEN - 15, 22, 40, 46
CLE - 15, 36, 39, 50
BAL - 22, 25, 26, 27
LVR - 4, 7, 12
JAC - 5, 39, 42
ATL - 6, 8, 26
BUF - 8, 37, 41
NOS - 11, 20, 47
HOU - 21, 27, 44
MIA - 6, 14
LAC - 7, 21
TBB - 7, 39
CHI - 7, 45
LAR - 8, 33
DET - 12, 44
ARI - 13, 47
WAS - 16, 22
DAL - 17, 24
SEA - 20, 45
IND - 29, 34
NEP - 32, 50
GBP - 34, 50
KCC - 26
PIT - 49
More of the consistent winning teams are grouped at the bottom than the top . . . which coincides with the teams having long-term top QB as well. NEP, GBP, and PIT were the only teams that didn't draft a WR in the Top 30 picks. Clearly, PIT has knocked it out of the park in drafting a number of successful WR later in the draft. NE, not so much.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
What I am countering is that many of the most productive receivers in the league over the last decade and a half have been Top 25 picks. NE has not drafted a WR in that area of the draft.
Some teams have spent way more draft capital on WR and have had plenty of busts, whether that be early picks or second day picks. Yet since those teams aren’t NE, a lot of people don’t care as much.
NE won without drafting well at WR, and they mostly figured out they did better trading for or signing free agents instead. BB drafted one guy in the first round in his tenure in NE. He took two little known players in Welker and Edelman and turned them into legit WR. They contributed 14,000+ receiving yards in NE.
Their WR picks haven’t worked out, but other teams have used 4-5 first round picks and haven’t hit on those receivers either. I am not remotely suggesting that the WR they picked were good, only that they didn’t pick many early receivers and ended up with some decent options in other ways.
All that being said, whatever they did in the past with Brady there likely isn’t going to work without him there. At least it hasn’t so far.
Boston
Footballguy
It actually fascinates me…regardless of where they have drafted them it is amazing how many have been complete busts…BB has had great success with UDFA’s at other positions but he just can not figure out this position using draft picks…it is just so odd…looking at this current roster they would be in a completely different spot if Harry and Thornton had hit or were at least solid…as far as drafting WRs they should pull a Costanza and just do the opposite of what they want to do.
Lansdowne
Footballguy
My theory is the Terry Glenn fiasco in the 2001 offseason soured BB on “diva” WRs so he went out of his way to draft WRs that he felt would be more “coachable”. Though it doesn’t explain passing on a guy like A.J. Brown, who had a good visit with the Pats and actually thought they were taking him only to go with N’Keal Harry instead. It’s astounding how much of a blind spot WR is for him. He’s drafted some WRs who contributed to Super Bowl victories (Deion Branch, David Givens, Julian Edelman, Malcolm Mitchell) but Edelman is the only one to ever eclipse 1K yards in a season. Suffice it to say, I’m not confident in Tyquan Thornton’s chances of bucking that trend.
Boston
Footballguy
While not big stat guys both Branch and Givens were excellent picks very early in his tenure…after that it has been disappointments like Chad Jackson, Bethel Johnson (although he did have a few big moments), Aaron Dobson and the worst pick of all time in Harry…you do have to give him a lot of credit for getting Welker because that was far from a no-brainer but obviously that was not a draft pick…Mitchell looked like he was going to be a good one but injuries submarined his career.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
I haven’t heard people knocking Thornton’s abilities. It’s been his inability to stay on the field with constant injuries. He was said to have worked hard in the off-season and looked good in the early part of OTA’s. But since then he’s been banged up. You can’t learn or be productive if you don’t play. Have other’s heard negative feedback on his actual play on the field?
Boston
Footballguy
Yes…on the road a decent amount so a lot is radio but hearing he has been pretty much invisible when he has been out there…just not showing much.
Didn't he break his clavicle around this time last year? Not built for the game.Similar threads
