The Patriots have had the unfortunate luck of selecting more busts in the draft than superstars in recent years, which was part of the reason many felt it was time for Bill Belichick to be let go after the 2023 season. It had become a significant problem when drafting for the offense, as the legendary coach consistently passed on names who have gone on to become some of the best receivers in the league in favor of those who wound up being big-time busts in New England.
That narrative followed Belichick after he decided to take N'Keal Harry in the first round over players like A.J. Brown and Deebo Samuel. It only worsened when he chose Tyquan Thornton in the second round of the 2022 draft.
The Baylor alum never lived up to that second-round status, for many reasons, one of which was the piling up of injuries during the two years he spent in New England. Other contributing factors, such as a revolving door of offensive coordinators and quarterback inconsistency, were also problems, which won't be a concern for him now that he's with the Chiefs.
In fact, Thornton is reportedly thriving with his new team, with even head coach Andy Reid raving about his performance since joining the team last season.
Tyquan Thornton is given another chance to prove himself with a Super Bowl contender
The head coach spoke about Thornton after a minicamp practice last week, sharing that he has already earned the trust of their quarterbacks, one of whom is Patrick Mahomes, and he's been giving a lot of reps with the receivers this spring.
"I like Tyquan (Thornton), I like the way he's approached things. He's got the quarterback's trust, which is a positive thing. You have valuable reps in here. The other guys could see that he's a talented guy. So, so far, so good again. I'd like to see him in a game situation, how he held. I would anticipate him doing a nice job and see where we are with that."
It's quite a change from the reputation he earned during his time in Foxboro, as we heard more about his time off the field recovering from an injury, or he was barely incorporated into the offense to gain any sort of feel for the kind of player he could be for the team.
That ultimately led to him being waived by the Jerod Mayo regime last year, after he had recorded only 39 receptions for 385 yards and two touchdowns since being drafted. He was signed to the Chiefs' practice squad and has since taken advantage of the opportunity with a legitimate contender, as he can work with one of the best head coaches and quarterbacks in the league.
Thornton, unfortunately, becomes just the latest player the Patriots made the mistake in drafting over others who have gone on to become superstars across the league. It's part of Belichick's legacy that won't be remembered fondly, and the team continues to suffer because of it.
Luckily, things appear to be looking up now that Mike Vrabel is in the building, as the Patriots are already considered an underdog playoff contender this upcoming season after back-to-back 4-13 seasons.