Tyquan Thornton impressed in his second regular season game. Could he put together the best season we’ve seen out of a Patriots rookie WR under Bill Belichick?
In his second career regular season game, Tyquan Thornton began to show some of the promise Patriots fans expected to see when he was drafted in the second round out of Baylor. Thornton ran the fastest 40-yard dash among wide receivers at the combine and proceeded to tease us with an excellent preseason. After fracturing his clavicle, we were forced to wait for his regular season debut.
Against Detroit in Week 5, Thornton caught two balls for seven yards. In Week 6, though, Thornton showed us what type of weapon he can be for this New England offense. He caught four passes for 37 yards, including a key touchdown reception early in the second half to put the Patriots up 17-6. He also contributed a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, smoothly displaying the type of speed we can expect from him going forward.
Yes, it’s early in the season, and yes, Thornton got a late start, but it is fair to wonder if he could put together the best rookie season of any Patriots wide receiver in the Belichick era.
While Bill Parcells’ selection of Terry Glenn paid immediate dividends in 1996, Bill Belichick has had no such luck drafting at the position. He’s done a bit better in scrounging for undrafted rookies, but they, too, have mostly failed to hit the ground running. The bar is quite low for Thornton.
Let’s take a look at the top five rookie seasons by a Patriots wide receiver in the Belichick era.
Top 5 rookie seasons by a Patriots WR under Bill Belichick: Jakobi Meyers
A quarterback turned wide receiver (sound familiar?), Jakobi Meyers joined the New England Patriots in the 2019 offseason as an undrafted free agent out of NC State. The 2018 receiver room was abysmal, with Julian Edelman, an oft-suspended Josh Gordon, and not much else. The Patriots prioritized this in the offseason and spent a first-round pick on what seemed like a can’t-miss prospect in N’Keal Harry.
Well, there’s a reason N’Keal is not on this list, but that’s for another day. Jakobi Meyers impressed in preseason and made the roster alongside Harry. While Harry did show flashes, it was Jakobi Meyers who put together the stronger season, totaling 359 yards on 26 receptions.
Jakobi, of course, is still with us today, and has carved out his role as the top option for both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. As it stands heading into Week 7, Meyers leads the team with 321 yards on 24 receptions.
Top 5 rookie seasons by a Patriots WR under Bill Belichick: Malcolm Mitchell
Malcolm Mitchell was selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Georgia and was a plug-and-play option in Belichick’s lineup, alongside Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan. Playing in 14 games and starting six, he amassed 32 receptions for 401 yards and four touchdowns.
To cap his rookie season, he was an instrumental piece of the Patriots’ victory in Super Bowl LI. We all know that story and it gives me goosebumps every time I think about it. Tom Brady threw the ball a whopping 62 times in leading the Patriots from a 28-3 deficit. Malcolm Mitchell brought in six of those balls for 70 yards, including four first down receptions in the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately, and through no fault of his own, Mitchell could not capitalize on that momentum. In fact, that would be the last game he ever played. Mitchell retired in 2019 after dealing with nagging knee injuries that dated back to his time at Georgia.
Top 5 rookie seasons by a Patriots WR under Bill Belichick: Kenbrell Thompkins
Kenbrell Thompkins was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati that year and put together a solid stat line of 32 receptions for 466 yards and 4 touchdowns in 12 games.
Kenbrell couldn’t quite build on his rookie year though. He had brief stops with the Raiders and Jets, and a very short second stint with the Patriots, but his career highlight may be catching a game-winning pass from Tom Brady in Week 6 of that 2013 season to beat the dangerous, Drew Brees-led Saints.
Top 5 rookie seasons by a Patriots WR under Bill Belichick: Deion Branch
Fresh off their first-ever Super Bowl victory, The Patriots used a second round pick in 2002 on Louisville wide receiver Deion Branch. Playing in 13 games, Branch amassed 489 yards and two touchdowns on 43 receptions. He also handled kick and punt return duties for the team.
Branch moved on from that rookie year to put together a decade-long career in the league. His second and third season with the Patriots both brought Super Bowl rings and he was even named Super Bowl MVP in SB XXXIX, when he caught 11 balls for 133 yards.
Bill Belichick’s offense has long touted a productive slot receiver. Troy Brown, Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, and the aforementioned Jakobi Meyers have all enjoyed strong statistical seasons in New England. Oftentimes, Deion Branch is the forgotten man. Branch possessed a rare quickness that yielded strong results from the beginning.
Top 5 rookie seasons by a Patriots WR under Bill Belichick: Aaron Dobson
Kenbrell Thompkins wasn’t the only rookie wide receiver to join that depleted pass-catching room in the 2013 offseason. Just before signing Thompkins as an undrafted free agent, the Patriots drafted Aaron Dobson out of Marshall in the second round of the 2013 draft. The pass-catching room was in a time of transition, losing Wes Welker, Deion Branch, Brandon Lloyd, and Hernandez for various reasons. The Pats were hopeful Dobson could make an immediate impact, and as far as rookie seasons under Belichick, he certainly did.
Dobson brought in 519 yards on 37 receptions and four touchdowns while playing in twelve games during his rookie campaign. Unfortunately, his promising career was derailed by injuries and he managed to play only twelve more games over the next two seasons, before calling it a career.
Could Tyquan do something we haven’t seen in 20 years?
Back to Tyquan. Given the low bar that rookie Patriots receivers have set in the last two decades, could he be the exception? With six career receptions, that might seem premature. But with trade chatter intensifying around Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, it’s possible Thornton begins to see even more opportunity.
His speed and explosiveness is tantalizing and his scouting report boasts soft, strong hands. Matt Patricia and Joe Judge can deploy him in ways that Patriots fans haven’t seen in years. He has great size and if we can continue to get him in space, the sky really is the limit for this young wideout.