Because the Patriots experienced so much success during their two-decade-long dynasty run, they never had the luxury of a high first-round draft pick, so they missed out on many superstar players who could have made them an even more dominant team.
Fortunately, they had Bill Belichick calling the shots, who saw things in players that other teams overlooked, and the Patriots were never a team that appeared to be lacking significant talent, even if there were some weaknesses on the roster.
But what set them back and continues to be problematic for the team today is Belichick's bad decision-making with picks they did have, as he selected far more busts than stars, particularly when it comes to wide receivers.
In the latter part of his New England tenure, it was particularly bad, most notably the decision to pass on players such as A.J. Brown, DK Metcalf, and Deebo Samuel for N'Keal Harry in 2019. He made the same mistake three years later when he used a second-round pick on Tyquan Thornton, who recorded just 39 receptions for 385 yards and 2 touchdowns in three years.
Since he was released last year, he has been with the Chiefs, and although he hasn't become a certified weapon for Patrick Mahomes, he has had much more success in Kansas City. That has some Patriots fans wishing he were still in Foxboro, which is questionable considering his lackluster career.
The Patriots do not miss having Tyquan Thornton in the wide receiver room and neither should the fans
After watching the Chiefs beat down the Colts on Sunday Night Football this past week, a game in which Thornton caught 4 passes for 86 yards, some Patriots fans took to social media to reminisce about what could have been if the receiver had stayed in New England.
Maybe it's because of the current situation with the receiving corps, with A.J. Brown sidelined and Romeo Doubs still figuring it out after two weeks, that has fans rewriting history, but others were quick to remind them about just how underwhelming Thornton's career has been thus far, even with more success with the Chiefs.
Obviously, he's had the best season of his career since moving out to the AFC West, with 2025 being his most notable with 19 receptions for 438 yards and 3 touchdowns.
But in his five-year career, he has totaled just 62 receptions for 909 yards and five touchdowns - for most top-tier receivers, even a strong backup, that can be a single-season total. For Thornton, that's what his resume is going into Year 5.
Typically, that wouldn't be a player any fan would dream of having on their team, never mind wanting to give a former head coach credit for drafting, especially in the second round.
It's fair to call it revisionist history, potentially surfacing because of the uncertainty the Patriots' offense is currently facing. However, Thornton hasn't lived up to his draft selection and likely never will, even if he returned to the Patriots.
They have made many improvements to their roster since he was cut, from landing franchise quarterback Drake Maye to building up their offensive line and trading for a high-caliber player like A.J. Brown.
Not to mention, Kyle Williams is arguably a very similar player to Thornton, and he hasn't made much of an impact yet, on top of the team deciding Kayshon Boutte wasn't worth keeping around. So what benefit would the offense get from keeping Thornton?
It's a brutal truth, but it's reality. The current roster wouldn't serve Thornton well, and he would likely put up similar numbers to his time in New England. Fans would be better off dreaming about Brown's return, or adding another game-changer to work with him in the near future, than dwelling on the past for a player who wouldn't make this team any better.
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