3 Patriots on the Chopping Block Next After JuJu Smith-Schuster Release

2. Tyquan Thornton

JuJu Smith-Schuster might not be the only wide receiver sent packing by New England's front office.

A 2022 second-round pick, Tyquan Thornton has flopped in New England. In his two seasons, Thornton has missed 12 games and has yet to produce or earn a prominent role in the offense. In 9 games in 2023, Thornton only caught 13 passes for 91 yards and no scores. That is definitely not the production the Patriots were looking for from a 50th-overall pick.

In his career, Thornton has only caught 35 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns.

The Patriots invested heavily at wide receiver this offseason as part of the team's plan to "weaponize" the offense. Via the draft, the team used a second-rounder on Ja'Lynn Polk and a fourth-rounder on Javon Baker. The team re-upped Kendrick Bourne and Jalen Reagor on contract extensions and signed free agent K.J. Osborn.

Beyond those names, New England is also hoping that some of their other young receivers can take the next step this season. 23-year-old DeMario Douglas was a rare bright spot on a horrid New England offense as a rookie last season and is eyeing an increased role in the 2024 Patriot offense. 22-year-old Kayshon Boutte caught three passes for 53 yards in the team's preseason opener on Thursday (although he did have a few drops in the second half).

Depending on how you rate Reagor and Boutte, there could be as many as seven players ahead of Thornton on the depth chart. With Smith-Schuster's release, at least five players should rank ahead of him. As the roster gets whittled down, Thornton is going to have a tough case to make.