Reported interest in Tyquan Thornton changes perspective on Patriots’ pick

The 2022 NFL Draft is nearly a month old already, and perspective on the New England Patriots‘ performance hasn’t changed much.

Those concerns grew louder on Monday when Matt Patricia told reporters that first-rounder Cole Strange, widely viewed as a third- or fourth-round pick during the pre-draft process, “has a long way to go” in his development, seemingly hinting that the Chattanooga product might not be ready to start as a rookie.

In the second round, the Patriots extended themselves once again, trading up to select speedy Baylor wideout Tyquan Thornton at pick No. 50.

While New England desperately needed to inject more speed into its offense, Thornton, like Strange, was considered a mid-round pick coming into the draft, so the selection received harsh reviews from experts and analysts.

Luckily for the Pats, the latest post-draft intel from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler changes perspective on the Thornton pick. Per the insider, Thornton drew interest from multiple teams as a Day 2 pick, including the Saints and Packers.

Maybe the Patriots didn’t reach that much for Tyquan Thornton after all.

Here’s what Fowler (subscription required) said about Thornton.

"New England is taking heat in media post-draft grades for reaching, but what emerged in pre-draft conversations is that Baylor wideout Tyquan Thornton wasn’t necessarily a reach for many teams. The Patriots’ second-round pick (No. 50) also was on the radar of the Packers, Saints and others as a Day 2 option. He combined the 4.28 speed with strong interviews, as teams liked his football acumen. Some saw him as a Day 3 prospect, to be sure. But he was a classic riser in the weeks leading up to the draft, and the Patriots visited with him very late in the process, which was telling."

On top of boasting the fastest 40-yard dash of any Combine participant, Fowler’s report notes that Thornton’s interviews and football IQ helped boost his stock leading up to the draft. That combination clearly caught Bill Belichick’s eye and the Patriots were one of a few teams who had him in for a top-30 visit.

Of course, both the Packers and Saints had a chance to take Thornton before New England. Green Bay opted for North Dakota State wideout Christian Watson at No. 34 overall, whereas New Orleans addressed their secondary at pick No. 49 with Tennessee corner Alontae Taylor after taking Chris Olave in Round 1.

Still, the fact Thornton was even on their respective radars is an encouraging sign. If the Saints didn’t trade up for Olave at No. 11 overall, there’s reason to believe Thornton would’ve been the pick at No. 49. That speaks volumes given the likes of George Pickens, Alec Pierce and Skyy Moore were all still available.

At the end of the day, this report doesn’t decide whether Thornton was the right selection. That’ll be decided on the field. What it does do, though, is bring some needed perspective to a pick that dropped jaws around the country.

Maybe Belichick and Co. know more than we think.

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