6 Patriots on Thin Ice Following OTAs

4. Tyquan Thornton, Wide Receiver

In need of speed at the wide receiver position, the New England Patriots used a second-round pick on Tyquan Thornton out of Baylor. During his time with the Bears, he had 2,242 yards in 143 receptions with 19 touchdowns. He proved to be a threat to score on any play but he was far from a finished product.

That's why most scouts saw him as a third-or-fourth-round pick. New England, however, channeled their inner Al Davis and took Thornton far too early due (No. 50 overall) to his wheels.

At the NFL Combine, Thornton showed out with a 4.28 in the 40-yard dash, which was the best time that year. There were still concerns though since he was a straight-line runner who weighed just 181 pounds and didn't hold up well against press coverage.

Entering his third season in the league, Thornton has yet to take off. He has just 35 receptions for 338 yards and two touchdowns. He does have 67 yards and a touchdown on six rushing attempts but it's hard to say he's done enough to warrant a spot on the roster. That's going to be even more challenging following the addition of K.J. Osborn in free agency and Ja'Lynn Polk in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Speed can't be taught, so players who can run past defenders will always get several chances. For Thornton, those chances might have to come outside of New England. They still don't have an elite receiving corps but they're working to rebuild it. Considering his lack of production through two years, it's hard to see him in those plans even with a strong start at OTAs.