FOXBORO, Mass. — In a perfect world, Tyquan Thornton would end his second summer in New England as a true top weapon in the Patriots offense. He’d be making people forget about what happened with DeAndre Hopkins.
And maybe he still will. It’s early, after all.
But with one week of training camp now in the books, you could argue that Thornton is closer to the bottom of the Patriots’ receiver depth chart than the top.
The 2022 second-round pick posted just two receptions in 11-on-11 periods over New England’s first 11 camp practices. To Thornton’s credit, both were great catches — on great goal-line throws from Bailey Zappe — in the back of the end zone. One saw Zappe hit Thornton on a fade over rookie Isaiah Bolden; the other saw him connect with the Baylor product after he out-maneuvered Marcus Jones.
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And that’s basically it. There was virtually nothing from Thornton before those plays, and there’s been nothing since. According to our stats, Mac Jones through Wednesday was 0-for-2 while targeting Thornton in 11-on-11s and 0-for-1 in 7-on-7s, with Zappe 2-for-3 targeting him in 11s — the two scores mentioned above — and 0-for-0 in 7s.
Some of the lack of production can be attributed to New England’s heavy emphasis on red-zone work in the first four practices. Thornton’s incredible speed but slight frame make him a more natural fit for plays between the 20s than those near the goal line. However, it’s not just about targets; Patriots coaches rarely even put him on the field during red-zone drills last week.
Talent isn’t the issue. Thornton occasionally dominated last summer before suffering a preseason collarbone injury. He saw some success upon returning, but he, like nearly everyone else on offense, looked lost amid New England’s infamous coaching dysfunction. He also dealt with off-field turmoil. Nevertheless, there was reason to believe Thornton would hit the ground running when the Patriots reconvened after the offseason.
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And he did just that… kinda.
Thornton, bulked up but still slender, was the top performer during the first OTA practice open to reporters in June. Mac Jones sang his praises afterward, as did many of his teammates. But Thornton didn’t participate in a single OTA or minicamp session from that point forward, reportedly due to a minor soft-tissue injury.
The hope was that Thornton would be ready to go for training camp and pick up where he left off after that great OTA practice. Obviously, that hasn’t happened.
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And then there’s Wednesday’s practice.
The Patriots offense was inconsistent, at best, over the first six practices of camp. But Wednesday’s padded practice saw the Bill O’Brien-led group break out, enjoying by far its best session of the summer. Everyone got involved and the energy was palpable.
Each quarterback played well. DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kendrick Bourne and ascending sixth-round rookie Demario Douglas all made great plays in 1-on-1 drills and competitive team periods. Kayshon Boutte did something. The tight ends popped, including the previously invisible Mike Gesicki. Even the banged-up, makeshift offensive line stood tall. It might’ve been the best training camp performance for a Patriots offense since 2021.
Where was Thornton? On the lower rehab field, where he went — and stayed — after the opening stretching period of practice. He had no hand in a narrative-changing morning for New England’s offense.
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Again, it’s early, and things can change in a hurry. Thornton could turn into a camp hero faster than 2022 Tre Nixon turned into a camp zero.
But, to this point, one of the Patriots’ biggest X-factors has been a complete afterthought.
Featured image via Gregory Fisher/USA TODAY Sports Images
