What draft analysts are saying about Patriots selecting WR Tyquan Thornton 50th overall
With the 50th overall pick in the second round, the New England Patriots selected wide receiver Tyquan Thornton. Thornton comes to New England by way of Baylor, where he put up 10 receiving touchdowns in the 2021 season.
Thornton gives the Patriots a potential speed threat at the wide receiver position, something that could help quarterback Mac Jones. With New England needing an outside threat, Thornton has the potential to be the answer in that department.
With New England selecting their pick, draft pundits from several media entities reacted to the selection. Here are just some of the many that circulated throughout the night.
CBS Sports
Major sleeper at WR. Not just 4.28 fast. Runs crisp, well-sold routes. Very natural hands catcher. Snatches the ball away from his frame effortlessly. This is precisely what the Patriots needed offensively. Spindly though. Not costly to move up.
Bleacher Report
Speed kills, and that’s primarily what the New England Patriots are getting at this juncture, because Thornton needs time to prove himself as a consistent target. One elite trait is apparently enough after the Patriots invested free-agent deals in Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne last offseason.
Bill Belichick learned his lesson when the franchise chose N’Keal Harry in the first round during the 2019 NFL draft. Explosivity is more important now than ever before, and Thornton can threaten every blade of grass. Right now, that’s all he needs to do. Over time, he may become a more complete target.
Draft Wire
Another bold, off-the-board pick for the Pats, who take perhaps the fastest player in the entire draft. Thornton is more track star than wide receiver right now, but that speed gives him tons of potential. Still, feels like a player that should have come off the board a round or so later, and the Pats had bigger needs on defense.
NFL.com
The speedster from Baylor is an explosive straight-line athlete with the burst and acceleration to blow past defenders as a vertical threat. Thornton’s big-play potential will create opportunities for himself and others in the passing game. — Bucky Brooks
Sporting News
With better big-play wideouts such as Skyy Moore and George Pickens on the board, the Patriots made a shaky trade up for a deep Day 3 talent. Thornton with an ideal frame (6-2, 181 pounds) is an extremely fast receiver (see his 4.28 in the 40) and will provide Mac Jones with a needed perimeter vertical threat, but it feels more like a classic Raiders pick than a Bill Belichick one this early.
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