Tyquan Thornton’s Window Remains Open As Second New England Patriots Training Camp Nears

During Bill Belichick’s tenure, only three wide receivers have been drafted higher by the New England Patriots than Tyquan Thornton.

The No. 50 overall pick in the 2022 class showed signs of why the investment was made as a rookie. There will need to be additional signs shown as his second NFL training camp nears.

The window remains open for that to happen.

With June visitor DeAndre Hopkins en route to the Tennessee Titans — as first reported Sunday by Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald — a trio of veteran wideouts are locked into New England’s 53-man roster projection. The recently extended DeVante Parker stands among them next to Kendrick Bourne and reigning Super Bowl champion JuJu Smith-Schuster.

And then there is a separator in Thornton, who will turn 23 on the practice fields shadowing Gillette Stadium in August. His contract runs through 2025.

Availability will be a factor moving forward. Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, a soft-tissue injury had sidelined Thornton before the calendar turned from organized team activities to mandatory minicamp. A fractured clavicle previously led to a stint on injured reserve before the former Baylor burner’s first regular season began.

Thornton made his debut last October. Thirteen games and nine starts followed on a depth chart no longer featuring free-agent departures Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor. He saw half of New England’s offensive snaps by campaign’s end. His 40-yard-dash time of 4.28 seconds — the fastest of all receiver prospects at last year’s NFL Scouting Combine — was also seen.

That gear looked easy to reach in a 38-15 win over the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium, where Thornton became the first Patriots rookie wideout to score receiving and rushing touchdowns in the same game under Belichick.

Yet the third and final touchdown did not arrive until New Year’s Day.

Along with three rushes for 16 yards, Thornton finished the season with 22 receptions for 247 yards. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, his catch rate of 48.89% ranked second-lowest among qualifying targets around the league.

The usage played a part in the inconsistency. So did the learning curve off the line of scrimmage and through tackles at a listed 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. In an offense now coordinated by Bill O’Brien, better chances to stretch the field both vertically and horizontally should lie ahead for Thornton.

The same goes for the starter under center.

“For me and him, it’s all about communication,” Patriots quarterback Mac Jones told reporters of Thornton during OTAs in May. “He has to grow and learn with me, and all the other guys, too. We’re all in the same boat together, but what you see is exactly what you’re going to get. He’s fast. He’s a smart football player. He’s got strong hands. I really think it’s just him continuing to grow that confidence just like we’re all working for, and he’s going to be a great player for a long time.”

With Thornton slotted into the core four, New England’s receiver competition also includes Ty Montgomery, Tre Nixon, Raleigh Webb and rookies Kayshon Boutte, Demario Douglas, Ed Lee and Malik Cunningham.

The initial practice of training camp is set for July 26.