DRAFT Patriots select WR Tyquan Thornton at 50.

[Triumph]

Yeah, I like Thornton a lot. I trust the new regime at Patriots draft HQ. The Patriots first round Strange pick smells like an old-time BB reach, but I think they got more sensible after that.

I don't really buy the whole skinny and frail frame argument against Thornton. Remember that Randy Moss was pretty skinny...OK, I am not saying he is another Moss, but I am not too worried about his physique (as long as he is good at avoiding contact after the catch)

Some draft aficionados had Strange the 2nd best Guard in the draft. I have to trust BB on this one. Other 1st rounders OL Mankins and Solder were both solid exceptional players. Wynn has been circling the drain in Bust territory. A 66% success rate drafting 1st round OL prior to Strange is hard not to like.

I went to a NE vs Denver game at Mile High and post game they had a corral type area for players to meet family and friends. Danny Amendola was out there and I was shocked how thin and small he was in street clothes. If you passed him on the sidewalk youd never get the impression that he was an NFL player. Other Patriots werent exactly chiseled lean mean fighting machines either.

Thin and fast is fine by me.

 

[upstater1]

Some draft aficionados had Strange the 2nd best Guard in the draft. I have to trust BB on this one. Other 1st rounders OL Mankins and Solder were both solid exceptional players. Wynn has been circling the drain in Bust territory. A 66% success rate drafting 1st round OL prior to Strange is hard not to like.

I went to a NE vs Denver game at Mile High and post game they had a corral type area for players to meet family and friends. Danny Amendola was out there and I was shocked how thin and small he was in street clothes. If you passed him on the sidewalk youd never get the impression that he was an NFL player. Other Patriots werent exactly chiseled lean mean fighting machines either.

Thin and fast is fine by me.

Wynn could be a better player than Solder, if he only stayed healthy

 

[Patsgofor4]

Some draft aficionados had Strange the 2nd best Guard in the draft. I have to trust BB on this one. Other 1st rounders OL Mankins and Solder were both solid exceptional players. Wynn has been circling the drain in Bust territory. A 66% success rate drafting 1st round OL prior to Strange is hard not to like.

I went to a NE vs Denver game at Mile High and post game they had a corral type area for players to meet family and friends. Danny Amendola was out there and I was shocked how thin and small he was in street clothes. If you passed him on the sidewalk youd never get the impression that he was an NFL player. Other Patriots werent exactly chiseled lean mean fighting machines either.

Thin and fast is fine by me.

He may have still been dating that high-maintenance lunatic model from RI at the time and was in peak runway model mode.

 

[EMpats]

Tell us that you don’t know the significance of the 3-cone drill without telling us that you don’t know the significance of the 3 cone drill.

So much misinformation in one post. Yes, you take Williams 10/10 times but your “analysis” (ie. talking out of your rectum…again) of Thornton is simply wrong on many levels….wrong about his releases, wrong about his burst, wrong about his route limitations. 8 red zone TDs last year… you don’t see that in a thin-framed receiver who is only a linear go-route guy and who does not have release skills, burst or a varied route tree. It is also important to note that Thornton is clearly more physical at the catch point and as a blocker than Williams.

The following links demonstrate your complete ignorance about Thornton.

How Patriots’ Tyquan Thornton Learned to Control His ‘Superpower’ to Become Top NFL Prospect - CLNS Media

The Patriots have a well-documented history of failing to draft and develop wide receivers. Earlier this week, New England declined former first-round pick N'Keal Harry's fifth-year option, which again brought to light how the Patriots missed on the 2019 receiver class. Along with Harry, who was...

www.clnsmedia.com

Tyquan Thornton adds much more than speed to the Patriots offense

New England traded up to select Thornton last Friday.

www.patspulpit.com

What they saw at the Shrine Bowl was a player who was capable of much more than just taking the top off of defenses. Instead, they saw Thornton as a player who could help them in multiple ways.

“This isn’t just a linear guy,” Groh said. “You see him really be able to get off the line. And for as fast as he is ... to be able to see him get in the red zone and do some things, and it’s not just speed, it’s 6-foot-2, ability to get up and really pluck the ball out of the air. So, there’s going to be a lot of different things that he’s going to be able to do to help.”



You probably know more about him than Groh, though, right?

That second clip is a thing of beauty, exactly what the Pats need. Beats press coverage at the line and then just explodes down the field for the long touchdown, stretching the field both vertically and laterally. You can’t teach that type of athleticism.

 

[Salsalife]

I know this is on a site but A LOT of people have disputed this. I've never seen it verified by anyone saying it's real. That vert looks awfully suspect considering Randy was 6'4 and dunking as a teenager.

I know it's listed online but that site has been wrong before on multiple players. Maybe they did it differently and let you take a "gather step" but reports of hid vert were like 45+.

I wish someone would clear this up.

I'm not to concern about an inch or 2 here or there. Not getting into the weeds as they say I was just noticing some similarities. Bethel Johnson was fast (4.38)but didn't turn out to be a good receiver. Terry Glenn (reportedly) ran a 4.29 40 yard dash. He was good. Break away speed, let's hope Bill's got a gem of a pick for the future!

 

[Triumph]

Wynn could be a better player than Solder, if he only stayed healthy

I just don't see it.

In 2021 he gave up the most sacks of all Pat's OL. LTs command big money and they are supposed to be mountain of men and agile. Wynn is 6 - 2 and slow at times.

His 2nd contract is fading fast if you ask me.

 

[Sicilian]

Important to remember that drafting Thornton was as much about 2023 as it is about 2022. We all hope he comes in and contributes right away, but next year the only WR's under contract who have any NFL pedigree are Parker and Bourne. We could re-sign Meyers, but we'd still need bodies at WR, and Thornton should (if he's legit) be hitting his stride in year 2.

 

[nextsuperstar]

Important to remember that drafting Thornton was as much about 2023 as it is about 2022. We all hope he comes in and contributes right away, but next year the only WR's under contract who have any NFL pedigree are Parker and Bourne. We could re-sign Meyers, but we'd still need bodies at WR, and Thornton should (if he's legit) be hitting his stride in year 2.

This is fair. Many great receivers are mediocre at best in year one. Most aren’t Chase or Jefferson who are great immediately. Heck Adam’s didn’t break out until year 3.

 

[zydecochris]

Last year, while watching Mac Jones’ college highlight films, he was dropping dimes to wide receivers streaking down the field with a step or two on the d back. The patriots never had this last year. While some of it was the fault of the o-line who I think was overrated by many here not giving him time, I think most was the skill set of the receivers. I am hopeful we now have that.

Agreed. At Alabama Mac’s two primary strengths were avoiding mistakes and throwing the prettiest long ball I’ve ever seen from a college quarterback. By “pretty”, I mean perfectly placed, super catchable, just the right “oomph” put on it.

With the excellence of Brady, the Pats could focus on drafting defense and smart small quick slot receivers, and not spend much draft capital on OL or top end receivers. It is notable that the top of this draft seemed to (for the first time in years) focus on helping our new second year QB with an athletic OL pick in round 1 followed by the fastest receiver in the class (even with perhaps some flaws) in round 2.

 

[upstater1]

I just don't see it.

In 2021 he gave up the most sacks of all Pat's OL. LTs command big money and they are supposed to be mountain of men and agile. Wynn is 6 - 2 and slow at times.

His 2nd contract is fading fast if you ask me.

Solder was scary back there a lot of times, and he was often given help.

 

[Sicilian]

Solder was scary back there a lot of times, and he was often given help.

I can't think of a LT in the Belichick era that ever got the fans seal of approval. Matt Light got a fair amount of criticism too. Only guy who everyone was happy with was Trent Brown, but that was only for one year. I think LT is just a really hard position to look 100% good at (not to say those guys didn't have warts, just that fans expect too much IMO).

 

[upstater1]

I can't think of a LT in the Belichick era that ever got the fans seal of approval. Matt Light got a fair amount of criticism too. Only guy who everyone was happy with was Trent Brown, but that was only for one year. I think LT is just a really hard position to look 100% good at (not to say those guys didn't have warts, just that fans expect too much IMO).

I felt much better with the others, and let me say I was not at all surprised to see him struggle badly with the Giants.

 

[moosekill]

Agreed. At Alabama Mac’s two primary strengths were avoiding mistakes and throwing the prettiest long ball I’ve ever seen from a college quarterback. By “pretty”, I mean perfectly placed, super catchable, just the right “oomph” put on it.

With the excellence of Brady, the Pats could focus on drafting defense and smart small quick slot receivers, and not spend much draft capital on OL or top end receivers. It is notable that the top of this draft seemed to (for the first time in years) focus on helping our new second year QB with an athletic OL pick in round 1 followed by the fastest receiver in the class (even with perhaps some flaws) in round 2.

This x 1000!!

 

[nextsuperstar]

I can't think of a LT in the Belichick era that ever got the fans seal of approval. Matt Light got a fair amount of criticism too. Only guy who everyone was happy with was Trent Brown, but that was only for one year. I think LT is just a really hard position to look 100% good at (not to say those guys didn't have warts, just that fans expect too much IMO).

Left tackle is one of those jobs where People only take notice of you if you messed up.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Matt Light - overall he was a good LT, but was awful against some elite pass rushers (most notably Jason Taylor and Aaron Schoebel). Remember the times the Pats would move the pockets against elite rushers?

Nate Solder - decent LT at best who benefitted from Tom’s quick decisions. And even then there were countless times pass rushers had close calls. I’ve never seen a guy chase so many pass rushers and have to find a way to push them away so Tom didn’t get lit up. We saw the real Nate Solder in NY.

Brown - had a good year in 2018. He should be the LT in 2022.

Wynn - started off great in 2019, but finds ways to land on IR. Was very bad at times in 2021 and a stretch where he was getting run over by D-lineman 2-3 consecutive games.

 

[Rob0729]

Some draft aficionados had Strange the 2nd best Guard in the draft. I have to trust BB on this one. Other 1st rounders OL Mankins and Solder were both solid exceptional players. Wynn has been circling the drain in Bust territory. A 66% success rate drafting 1st round OL prior to Strange is hard not to like.

I went to a NE vs Denver game at Mile High and post game they had a corral type area for players to meet family and friends. Danny Amendola was out there and I was shocked how thin and small he was in street clothes. If you passed him on the sidewalk youd never get the impression that he was an NFL player. Other Patriots werent exactly chiseled lean mean fighting machines either.

Thin and fast is fine by me.

Wynn is not a bust. He is a disappointment because he cannot stay on the field, but he has mostly showed he can play (and at a high level at times) when he is healthy.

 

[Triumph]

Solder was scary back there a lot of times, and he was often given help.

And yet crazy Belichick signed Solder to his 2nd contract.

Good enough to win 2 Super Bowls.

 

[Triumph]

Wynn is not a bust. He is a disappointment because he cannot stay on the field, but he has mostly showed he can play (and at a high level at times) when he is healthy.

Close to to being a bust as you can get.

9 sacks in a season is not high level play.

 

[Triumph]

I felt much better with the others, and let me say I was not at all surprised to see him struggle badly with the Giants.

Which drafted Pats players have moved on and not struggled?

Cassel - no
Jimi Baby - no
Branch - no
Seymour - no
Law - no
Wilfork - no

 

[Rob0729]

Close to to being a bust as you can get.

9 sacks in a season is not high level play.

He wasn't great last year, but he was good previous years. They didn't pick up his option because he was a bust. Look at Harry.