Getty Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton visited with the Bears on April 11.
The Chicago Bears are getting a closer look at one of the fastest wide receivers to enter the draft in recent years.
The Bears had speedy ex-Baylor receiver Tyquan Thornton in for a visit on April 11, as first reported by Josh Norris:
Baylor WR Tyquan Thornton is visiting the #Bears today
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has Thornton projected to be selected in the fifth round of the upcoming NFL draft, where the Bears have two selections (No. 148 and No. 150 overall). The sure-handed Thornton caught 62 passes for 948 yards (15.3 yards per catch) and 10 touchdowns in 14 games in 2021, dropping just three passes on 98 targets.
Over his four seasons with Baylor, he played in 42 games, catching 143 passes for 2,242 yards (15.7 yards per catch) and 19 TDs, but it wasn’t his stats that got teams’ attention leading up to the draft. It was his performance at the scouting combine in March.
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Thornton Flashed His Standout Speed at NFL Combine
The 6-foot-3, 182-pound receiver finished with the fastest 40-yard dash time amongst all wideouts at the combine this year, running it in 4.28 seconds. That’s tied for the sixth-fastest amongst all wide receivers in combine history, according to NFL.com.
By comparison, Ohio State standout Chris Olave clocked an official 4.39-second time, while the receiver with the closest time to Thornton’s was Velus Jones, who had a time of 4.31 seconds. Thornton also had a 36.5-inch vertical.
His speed coupled with his ability to adjust and haul in passes make him an intriguing prospect for the Bears.
Tyquan Thornton absolutely plays to his timed speed y’all. He could absolutely become an X in the league. I think his best football is in front of him.
What the Draft Experts Are Saying About Thornton
At just over 180 pounds, one of the primary knocks on Thornton is his size; he’s skinny and could use an extra 5-10 pounds of muscle on his frame. His route-running also needs work, but he has enough intangibles to be worth a fifth-round pick.
He may also be a solid pairing with Darnell Mooney.
Jacob Infante of The Draft Wire called Thornton a “dream” wideout for new Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.
We keep talking about size-speed WRs for the #Bears, but Baylor’s Tyquan Thornton isn’t mentioned enough.
6-2 weapon with long arms and 4.28 speed who’s a dangerous deep threat. If Poles doubles down on WRs, Thornton is a Getsy dream on Day 3.
Here’s what draft expert Lance Zierlein had to say about Thornton as a prospect:
There is a lot to like about Thornton’s game, including his instincts, long speed and ability to create separation on the move. He’s a vertical threat with the speed and poise to win deep and has an excellent feel for maintaining spacing when working against zone coverage. He’s skinny and linear, which is a bad combination in defeating strong press-man corners on the next level. The poise and catch radius will work in his favor, but the success rate on contested catches will be lower than teams like, based upon his history and physical traits. Wideouts with his size profile have struggled mightily to succeed in the league, but Thornton’s speed and talent make him worthy of a shot on Day 3.
Thornton also returned kicks sparingly at Baylor (he had eight returns over four years for 138 yards (that’s 17.3 yards per return). That could make him more attractive to Chicago, who also brought in former Michigan State wideout Jalen Nailor in for a visit on April 11, per Norris.
Michigan State WR Jalen Nailor is visiting the #Bears today
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Bears Eyeing One of Fastest WR Prospects in NFL History