Throughout Bill Belichick's tenure as the head coach and general manager of the New England Patriots, he became known for how he handled roster building and his impressive record in evaluating talent to make the right decisions for the team. The most notable aspect of all was his apparent insight into when it was best to move on from a player who had once been a pillar of the team; however, the same could not be said about how he handled the draft.
He managed to pile up more misses than hits when it came to selecting rookies to add to the team before the upcoming season, particularly later in his career, which earned him an unfavorable reputation before leaving the NFL for UNC.
From his choice of drafting N'Keal Harry in the first round of the 2019 draft over receivers like A.J. Brown and Deebo Samuel and using a first-round selection on lineman Cole Strange to trading up to pick receiver Tyquan Thornton, Belichick was far from an expert on accurately gauging the kind of players they would be in the NFL.
In many ways, he was eventually proven right when those players left New England. But Thornton's rise with the Chiefs this season might prove that the bust label on the receiver was premature, and maybe we owe Belichick an apology.
Tyquan Thornton isn't letting go of the negativity that surrounded him from Patriots fans
After surprisingly making the Chiefs' 53-man roster for the 2025 season, Thornton has revived his career in Kansas City with a few solid performances to start the year.
His most noteworthy came against the Giants on Sunday Night Football, which had Patriots fans upset about what he could have been on their offense, to which Thornton replied with a strong message to all those who had already written him off long before he left New England.
Thank you for all the hate & doubt! https://t.co/HgETjjSOij
— T.Thornton4️⃣ (@Humble_Ty19) September 22, 2025
It might be jumping to conclusions about just how good Thornton can be for the Chiefs, considering his Week 3 showing wasn't the most impressive performance that we have ever seen from a receiver, even this season.
But because he's already become a trusted weapon for Patrick Mahomes, that speaks volumes about his production and potential to become a legitimate go-to for a multi-time Super Bowl MVP.
It will be interesting to see how his involvement continues as the season progresses, especially when suspended receiver Rashee Rice returns after Week 6. It's possible Thornton could see fewer snaps after that, but he also might establish himself as a viable threat enough for Mahomes to want to maintain using him as much as possible.