The Patriots have had the unfortunate experience of accumulating more draft busts than draft successes in recent years, which has become a massive part of their roster struggles during that time. Bill Belichick's legacy took a hit because of it, especially when it came to finding their next best wide receiver for their quarterback.
The issue dates back to Tom Brady's time on the team, but it became more significant when trying to build around their projected next franchise player. The most infamous of selections continues to be N'Keal Harry and Tyquan Thornton, both of whom were on different teams within three years of joining the league.
Thornton, however, appears to be jumpstarting the next phase of his career, as he has made a name for himself this past year in Kansas City.
Despite being known for showing out in training camp and the preseason yet not translating that to the regular season, NFL insider Jordan Schultz announced he made the Chiefs' 53-man roster for the 2025 season, a feat not many could have predicted just one year ago.
The #Chiefs WR Tyquan Thornton and former #Patriots 2nd-round pick, has made Kansas City’s 53-man roster.
— SleeperChiefs (@SleeperChiefsKC) August 26, 2025
Per @Schultz_Report
Another potential deep threat for Patrick Mahomes #ChiefsKingdom
pic.twitter.com/rZnJsV7Io5
Tyquan Thornton could prove to be a formidable player outside of New England
From the start of his career, Thornton was scrutinized for when he was drafted, as many experts believed he was a reach by Belichick. Although he has no impact on when a team drafts him, it slapped him with a label that was never going to be able to live up to the way other second-rounders typically do.
Stacking up injuries every preseason didn't help his case, either, which led to inevitable more time away from the game than developing with the offense, and he recorded just 39 receptions for 385 yards and two touchdowns during the three years he was in Foxboro.
That made it easy for the Jerod Mayo regime to eventually cut him during the 2024 season, allowing Thornton to sign with the Chiefs' practice squad later in the year.
He stood out at practice for his speed and big play potential, which he has carried over to this offseason, and he impressed with his performance during the preseason over the last few weeks. That was enough for the Chiefs to keep him around for the season ahead, providing him with a major opportunity to continue his career with an annual Super Bowl contender.
Thornton will have to prove he can maintain the level of production he showed during the preseason games once they start to matter. That wasn't something he managed to do with the Patriots, but now that he has the best quarterback he could work with, there won't be any excuse for him not to flourish.
It could be his last chance to do so, too.