What Patriots’ Jakobi Meyers Has Seen Out Of Rookie Tyquan Thornton

It’s been an up-and-down training camp so far for New England Patriots rookie Tyquan Thornton, but he did receive some praise from one of his fellow wide receivers Friday.

The words of encouragement from Jakobi Meyers are probably needed for Thornton. The wideout has been picked apart — from his incredibly slender frame to what else he can provide other than speed — since the Patriots selected him in the second round of this past NFL draft.

While Thornton’s sprinter-like speed jumps out, Meyers has seen more from the first-year player than just that as he tries to make himself into a more well-rounded receiver.

“Fast,” Meyers told reporters of Thornton, per a video on Patriots.com. “He’s elusive, too. A lot of people don’t realize how quick he is in and out of his breaks. I feel like Tyquan is going to have a good career in the league and I’ll be excited watching him play every day.”

The 6-foot-2, 182-pound Thornton will obviously need to prepare for the physical demands of the NFL, but will also need to adjust to the learning curve of playing in the Patriots new offensive system, something Meyers admitted hasn’t been the easiest thing for him this offseason.

But Meyers believes Thornton has taken the right approach as the rookie tries to carve out a role in a deep wide receiver group.

“The thing about Tyquan is you can tell that he’s happy to learn,” Meyers told reporters. “All the time he comes up to me and just be like, ‘Watch my route here, or watch me do this.’ Watching him and just seeing him become better, just from OTAs to now honestly, he’s been a better player already.”

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