DRAFT Patriots select WR Tyquan Thornton at 50.

[sportnik]

My biggest concern on Thorton is his glacially SLOW 3 cone time. 7.2 is slower than our QB. its slower than a 350lb NT. So add the micromini hands, the rail thin physic, the injuries, and the fact he was a day 3 pick on many board AND we felt we had the need to trade UP to get him and I'm not worried a bit about this pick.

His 3 cone was faster than DK Metcalf. It was the same as Randy Moss. So clearly a player with a poor 3 cone can excel in this offense. Change of direction isn’t nearly as important for outside receivers as it is for slot guys.

 

[scott99]

Tony Simmons was a fair amount faster, but your point still stands.

Simmons disciplined by team

Third-year wide receiver Tony Simmons did not practice with the team on Thursday after being disciplined by Head Coach Bill Belichick.

www.patriots.com

Simmons was not faster. That’s a ridiculous statement. Thornton’s 40 was in the top 15 all time at the combine. Simmons ran a 4.35 at the combine, Stanley Morgan allegedly ran a 4.35, Bethel Johnson ran a 4.37 at the combine. Thornton is the fastest player in Patriot’s history.

Randy Moss, there was a rumor that he ran a 4.22 coming out of college, and I believe that. But he didn’t run at the combine, when he ran at his pro day, he ran a 4.38. But just watching him play, I’d say he was closer to the 4.22. That being said, by the time he came to the Pats, he was probably closer to 4.35. Still was incredibly dominant as a Patriot.

 

[Kasmir]

My biggest concern on Thorton is his glacially SLOW 3 cone time. 7.2 is slower than our QB. its slower than a 350lb NT. So add the micromini hands, the rail thin physic, the injuries, and the fact he was a day 3 pick on many board AND we felt we had the need to trade UP to get him and I'm not worried a bit about this pick.

7.2s 3 Cone is faster than DK Metcalf's 7.38s which is one major reason he fell from the 1st round. Turns out he had other things going for him.

 

[Jim Beankie]

Simmons was not faster. That’s a ridiculous statement. Thornton’s 40 was in the top 15 all time at the combine. Simmons ran a 4.35 at the combine, Stanley Morgan allegedly ran a 4.35, Bethel Johnson ran a 4.37 at the combine. Thornton is the fastest player in Patriot’s history.

Randy Moss, there was a rumor that he ran a 4.22 coming out of college, and I believe that. But he didn’t run at the combine, when he ran at his pro day, he ran a 4.38. But just watching him play, I’d say he was closer to the 4.22. That being said, by the time he came to the Pats, he was probably closer to 4.35. Still was incredibly dominant as a Patriot.

That's a fair take. I have a different definition of fast (Simmons's 10.15 100m vs Thornton's 10.50 - tho TS ran 10.50 exactly in HS, too), but since the 40 time is more applicable to football, I'm deferring to it in this case.

 

[Nunchucks]

Gaining 10 to 20 lbs does not necessarily mean a loss of speed and may actually increase overall quickness

 

[venecol]

7.2s 3 Cone is faster than DK Metcalf's 7.38s which is one major reason he fell from the 1st round. Turns out he had other things going for him.

DK is 6'4" 229 lbs. Lol

 

[upstater1]

Pats had two trades w/ Chiefs:

1st round:
Chiefs - Trent McDuffie, CB (88.4)
Pats - Cole Strange, G (84.3)

2nd round:
Pats - Tyquan Thornton, WR (75.1)
Chiefs - Skyy Moore, WR (85.1)

Here's something to think about: if the Chiefs did not have to pay an ungodly amount for Joe Thuney, would they have been able to keep Tyreek Hill?

 

[Grogan14]

Why do they have to overthink this every time. Couldn’t they just have taken either Pickens or Skye Moore. It seems like they outsmart them selves and try to be the smartest draft Geniuses in the room and it winds up exploding on them every time.

 

[TommyD4207]

Why do they have to overthink this every time. Couldn’t they just have taken either Pickins or Skye Moore. It seems like they outsmart them selves and try to be the smartest draft Geniuses in the room and it winds up exploding on them every time.

You understand Pickens is batshit crazy, right?

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Why do they have to overthink this every time. Couldn’t they just have taken either Pickins or Skye Moore. It seems like they outsmart them selves and try to be the smartest draft Geniuses in the room and it winds up exploding on them every time.

Pickens may not have even been on our board.

 

[State]

His 3 cone was faster than DK Metcalf. It was the same as Randy Moss. So clearly a player with a poor 3 cone can excel in this offense. Change of direction isn’t nearly as important for outside receivers as it is for slot guys.

This is great to know. Thanks.

 

[State]

Pickens may not have even been on our board.

I tend to doubt it. We put a premium on good character. Belichick wants Harry Carson type players. Not the Antonio Browns.

 

[Grogan14]

You understand Pickens is batshit crazy, right?

Yes but so was AB. He will be a better pro than Thornton

 

[Grogan14]

I tend to doubt it. We put a premium on good character. Belichick wants Harry Carson type players. Not the Antonio Browns.

What about Jack Jones, does he have good character?

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Yes but so was AB. He will be a better pro than Thornton

AB also lasted here a week.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Sure. And then if he adds 10 pounds of muscle, maybe he runs a 4.38 instead of a 4.28. I mean, 4.38 is still ELITE speed.

Track athletes bulk up all the time and run faster. Where did you get "runs a 4.38 instead of a 4.28"?

 

[PaulThePat]

RGIII is on board the Tyquan train.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

With Parker and Thornton at least on WR group we look better then last season

And Agholor and Bourne, plus Smith and Henry, are in the 2nd year of the offensive system.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Sure.
But the Patriots performance has been well below league average the past five or more years.
The Patriots have made some odd choices that fans questioned at the time, and the failure of those perceived reaches certainly raises questions when other reaches are made.

The Patriots drafted Derek Rivers and Antonio Garcia in 2017. They have no starters from that draft.
The Patriots have two players remaining from the 2018 draft, Wynn and Bentley. Featured Duke Dawson in the second.
The 2019 draft featured a reach for Harry in the first over the higher "expert"-rated players Deebo Samuel, Terry McLaurin, DK Metcalf, etc. JoeJuan Williams in the second, who has made the team. An active third with three players, Winovich, Harris, and Cajuste. Their best pick was punter Jake Bailey in the fifth.
2020 delivered Duggar, a good third safety behind McCourty & Philips, Uche, a rotational edge player, Jennings who's done nothing, two TE's who struggle to make the team, and the first kicker drafted. There was a lot of complaining from the fans about selecting Rohrwasser over more highly-rated "expert" kickers, and Rohrwasser didn't make the team.

So over the 2017-2020 period, where there has been time to evaluate, the best players drafted are Wynn, Bentley, Harris, Bailey, Duggar, and Uche. Not a lot of Pro Bowl representation there. Three positional starters; four if you count Duggar, and a good punter.

Sure, Belichick has access to much more data than fans who read reviews from the experts. But generally those reaches just haven't worked. And now we are seeing a lot more reaches.

They didn't have a 1st in 2017 b/c they traded for Cooks. 3rd rounders fail 80% of the time.

No mention of Sony who they won a SB with?

Over a 5 year period every team drafts the same. Some good. Some crap.

Most BB detractors forget about how he kills it on UFAs.

From 2017-2019 they always picked near the bottom. That has a cumulative effect on the quality of talent they can choose from.

 

[TheRainMaker]

He’s the rare WR in this draft that actually gets separation.

This is by far the weirdest draft with WR’s. So many taken early and none really that impressive. I see a fair share of busts in this draft.