Rookie Tyquan Thornton breaks the mold. Will he change the Patriots' fortune at receiver?

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Tyquan Thornton has skinny wrists, a skinny frame and small hands. In the world of NFL draft evaluations, those underwhelming measurements were noted this past offseason.

The Athletic's Dane Brugler pointed out that, at 6 1⁄8 inches, Thornton had the smallest wrists in the draft. At 181 pounds, Thornton is the lightest wide receiver ever drafted by Bill Belichick. His 8 ¼-inch hands put him in the second percentile of all receivers ever at the NFL scouting combine.

So, no, the Patriots' 2022 second-round draft pick doesn’t fit the prototypical mold when it comes to playing wide receiver in the NFL.

NFL NEWSLETTER: Sign up now for exclusive content sent to your inbox

INSIDE SCOOP: Vikings’ quest for ‘less predictable’ offense, starting with new coach Kevin O’Connell’s '

For the Patriots, that’s probably a good thing. From N’Keal Harry to Aaron Dobson, Chad Jackson and Bethel Johnson, the history of New England drafting receivers in the first two rounds is bad enough to make any Patriots fan squeamish.

'Skinny wrists? What do you use your wrists for?'

Small wrists? Small hands? Small waist? Who cares?

“Skinny wrists? What do you use your wrists for?” said Thornton, who noted his wrists have never limited him in a game. “I’ve never heard of that one.”

Thornton’s frame is different from those of his peers, but he has a skill set that could make life much easier for Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.

Thornton doesn’t hit the Patriots' typical marks at receiver. In fact, he has the slowest three-cone time (7.25) of any receiver not named Matthew Slater drafted by Belichick, but his most important attribute should help the team immensely.

Thornton brings speed — and lots of it. That’simportant in today’s NFL and something the Patriots offense lacked a year ago.

Whereas his weight (181 pounds) puts him in the ninth percentile of all receivers ever at the NFL scouting combine, his 40-yard dash time (4.28 seconds) puts him in the 98th percentile all time. A former high school track and field standout, Thornton is accustomed to being challenged to races by his football teammates.

After running a blazing 40 at the combine, however, his Patriots teammates have avoided that. For example, Patriots receiver Nelson Agholor is considered fast by NFL standards, but he feels no need to race the rookie.

“No,” Agholor said. “I think he's faster than me.”

“Yeah, a lot of guys ask to race,” said Thornton. “But I mean, no, not after that 4.2.”

Thornton's speed is the big reason why he had collegiate success despite his skinny frame. Last year, he finished with 62 receptions for 948 yards and 10 touchdowns. He finished his college career ranked 10th on Baylor's all-time receiving yards list and eighth all-time for receiving touchdowns.

His skill set should complement Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker and Nelson Agholor on the Patriots' depth chart.

“Yeah, Tyquan’s dope. We’re going to get some weight on my guy, but bro is blazing, though,” said Bourne.

Why Tyquan Thornton isn’t worried about his weight

After the Patriots traded up and drafted Thornton with the 50th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, many figured the Pats would work with the rookie to bulk up.

However, Thornton said the Patriots haven’t given him a target weight. That’s not even his main concern this offseason.

“Just staying true to myself. Just always look at myself in the mirror. It’s my body type. It’s my frame,” Thorton said. “I don’t see myself getting 225 pounds. I’ve been thin all my life, but just getting stronger in the weight room. You know, building more muscle so I can have that fast twitch.

“I won’t necessarily say getting bigger. I’d say getting stronger. Putting speed with having strength.”

Instead of focusing on his size, the Patriots will work to make him strong enough to fight off opposing cornerbacks.

For example, during Tuesday’s practice, the coaching staff was working with Thornton on making sure he moved his arms throughout his routes and out of his breaks. He said the other emphasis was on route running and making contested catches.

The veterans on the team have taken notice as well.

“He’s bought in,” Bourne said. “You can tell he cares. I think it was a dope pick, man. We need speed and we needed to add that downfield threat, so I think he gives us another [target in] that part of the field. That’s another thing, learning from him, too. I can learn from him, he can learn from us, and he’s in the right place. If he has the right attitude and applies himself, this type of place will take you to another level.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Can rookie Tyquan Thornton end Patriots' run of missteps at WR?