Thornton, who Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site projects to make the team's 53-man roster, has been running with New England's top offense this summer. Per Lazar, the 2022 second-rounder, who is playing at 192 pounds these days, looks more sturdy on the field with the added weight. Thornton struggled to stay healthy over his first two years as a pro, but he now has a chance to emerge as a field-stretcher in the Patriots offense. Whether such a role yields enough volume for him to make a fantasy impact remains to be seen, with DeMario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk, K.J. Osborn and Javon Baker also in the mix for targets in New England's re-tooled WR corps.
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Status
ACTIVELatest Tyquan Thornton news
Team
New England Patriots
Birthdate
8/7/2000 (24)
Status
Active
HT/WT
6'2", 185 lbs
Draft Info
2022: Rd 2; Pk (NE)
Birthplace
Miami, FL, USA
Position
WR
College
Baylor
Experience
3 seasons
Career History
New England Patriots
2022-Present
(3 seasons)
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Thornton, who Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site projects to make the team's 53-man roster, has been running with New England's top offense this summer. Per Lazar, the 2022 second-rounder, who is playing at 192 pounds these days, looks more sturdy on the field with the added weight. Thornton struggled to stay healthy over his first two years as a pro, but he now has a chance to emerge as a field-stretcher in the Patriots offense. Whether such a role yields enough volume for him to make a fantasy impact remains to be seen, with DeMario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk, K.J. Osborn and Javon Baker also in the mix for targets in New England's re-tooled WR corps.
Thornton was on the field for nine snaps on offense in Thursday's 14-13 preseason loss to the Eagles. Thornton didn't see any targets in his limited action versus Philadelphia, but he did line up with the starting offense for the second straight exhibition contest. He has a chance to parlay his speed into a role in a Patriots' wideout corps that could be without Kendrick Bourne (knee) early on, competing for snaps with DeMario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk, K.J. Osborn, Javon Baker, Kayshon Boutte and Jalen Reagor.
Thornton didn't catch his lone target in Thursday's 17-3 preseason win over the Panthers. Thornton logged just seven snaps in the contest, but it's notable that the speedster opened up the contest with the Patriots' starters. In his third season as a pro, the 2022 second-rounder is competing for a role in a wide open New England WR corps, but as Evan Lazar of the team's official site notes, Thornton's start and subsequent quick exit Thursday could bode well for his roster standing.
Thornton now weighs 192 pounds, up from his listed weight of 185 lbs., Evan Lazar of patriots.com reports. The 2022 second-round pick is still quite thin for a wide receiver, but it's an improvement from the 2022 Combine when he checked in at 6-foot-2, 181 pounds. The 4.28 speed he showcased at said combine hasn't gotten him far in the NFL, with Thornton now on the roster bubble after catching 35 passes in 22 games over his first two NFL seasons. He may end up competing for one spot with Jalen Reagor, a fellow speedster (and draft bust) who offers more potential to contribute on special teams.
With the Patriots having selected two wide receivers in the 2024 NFL Draft, Thornton's standing on the team's depth chart is unclear ahead of training camp, per Chad Graff of the Athletic. In his post-draft roster assessment, Graff suggests that Thornton, who is presumably past the ankle issue that sidelined him in the Patriots' 2023 regular-season finale, isn't a roster lock ahead of Week 1. Over the first two years of his pro career, the 2022 second-rounder has had trouble staying on the field and has been limited to 35 catches in 22 contests in that span. While Thornton's speed could help him stick around if he has a strong summer, for now he currently has Kendrick Bourne, Ja'Lynn Polk, Demario Douglas, Javon Baker, K.J. Osborn, Jalen Reagor, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kayshon Boutte to contend with for depth chart slotting.
Per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, Thornton's 30 snaps on offense (out of a possible 68) marked a season-high, but it didn't yield much production for the 2022 second-rounder. It's possible that Thornton's role could grow as the season progresses, but with just five catches (on 12 targets) for 34 yards through four games to date, he's off the fantasy radar.