Deep Threat: Where Does Tyquan Thornton's Speed Fit in Patriots WR Arsenal?
Fans of the New England Patriots have long clamored for a true big-play, speedy boundary receiver.
In drafting Baylor wideout Tyquan Thornton, their wishes may have been granted.
More importantly, the Pats may have added that missing piece to their repertoire.
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In the aftermath of drafting Thornton, as well as trading with the Miami Dolphins to acquire DeVante Parker, New England is currently ten players deep at the position. Parker, as well as fellow offseason acquisition Ty Montgomery, joins incumbents Jakobi Meyers, N’Keal Harry, Kendrick Bourne, Kristian Wilkerson, Malcolm Perry and Tre Nixon on the depth chart. While Matthew Slater is logistially listed as a receiver, his contributions are almost exclusively tied to special teams. Therefore, each of the members of the Pats’ wide receivers room will be called upon to play a more crucial role in the upcoming season.
With Thornton now in the Foxboro fold, here is a look at an expected version of the game day Patriots receivers group for 2022:
Tyquan Thornton
Thornton finished the 2021 season with 60 receptions and 10 receiving touchdowns. When at his best, he provides electric speed [he ran a blazing 4.28 in the 40-yard-dash at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine], with an ability to run past any defender in his path. In conjunction with his speed, Thornton uses long strides to glide past defenders to create separation. As a result, he will provide quarterback Mac Jones with immediate value as a deep threat. Thornton will also provide the Patriots with the type of receiver for which defenses will always have to account.
Cred: USA Today Sports
Cred: USA Today Images
DeVante Parker
The news of New England’s acquisition of Parker was met with enthusiasm by much of the Patriots fanbase. For the Patriots, they gain a true vertical presence on the perimeter, capable of winning his matchups both on the outside and downfield. The 6-foot-3, 219-pound product of Louisville has the size and the speed to instantly make an impact on the Patriots passing offense. In seven seasons with the Dolphins, Parker played 93 games (out of a possible 113) and had 338 receptions for 4,727 yards and 24 touchdowns. His most productive season came in 2019, where he compiled 72 catches on 128 targets for 1202 yards, and nine touchdowns. Parker is particularly adept at gaining yards after the catch, averaging 14 yards-per-reception throughout his career.
In 2021, the 29-year-old finished with 40 catches for 515 yards and two touchdowns last season. It should be noted that his season was interrupted by hamstring and shoulder injuries. Despite a long injury history, however, Parker’s talent and potential upside were clearly worth the price.
Ty Montgomery
While not a traditional wide receiver, Montgomery does have extensive experience as a hybrid receiver/running back. Throughout his career, he has amassed 1180 rushing yards on 258 carries with seven touchdowns. As a backfield receiver, he has compiled 1104 receiving yards on 139 catches with three scoring receptions.
Montgomery is coming off a statistically underwhelming season in 2021. He averaged 2.9 yards per carry on 15 rushes and caught 16 passes for 95 yards and zero touchdowns for the Saints. If the Patriots have high hopes for him as a solid contributor as a reserve option on offense, they will need to see signs of improvement, starting in training camp. His special teams acumen may help his case, as he took 48% of the Saints’ snaps a year ago, both as a kick returner and on coverage teams.
With the Patriots, he should be expected to settle into an offensive option on third-down, as well as a backfield receiver.
Jakobi Meyers
The North Carolina State product was arguably the Patriots most reliable pass catcher in 2021, finishing the season with two touchdowns, but leading the team in both receptions (89) and yards (906), including the playoffs. Should he return to New England, he will continue to be among the key contributors to the Pats offense.
Following the conclusion of the 2021 season, Meyers expressed his desire to “definitely” stay with the Patriots and continue working with quarterback Mac Jones. In fact, Meyers was among a quintet of Patriots pass catchers who joined Jones in Tampa, Florida for informal throwing sessions. Per reports, he has placed a sharp focus on his strength and conditioning, adding additional muscle bulk and raising his weight to 225 pounds. Meyers has also reported for voluntary offseason workouts, which began on April 18 at Gillette Stadium.
Nelson Agholor
Following a career year with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020, Agholor got off to a hot start with the Pats in 2021. In Week One against the Miami Dolphins, the 28-year-old compiled 72 yards receiving, with one touchdown. Incidentally, he will hold the distinction of hauling in quarterback Mac Jones’ first touchdown pass in a Patriots uniform. However, Agholor’s production slowed as the season progressed. He finished the season as fourth on the list of most targeted Patriots’ pass catchers, while being fifth on the team in receptions. In his first season with the team, he caught 37 passes for 473 yards and three touchdowns. As for Agholor, his dead money would amount to $10 million, if cut, $5 million of traded. According to Patriots salary cap expert Miguel Benzan, the $5 million difference results from his $5 million in fully-guaranteed salary. If Agholor is moved via trade, the responsibility to pay said amount would go to his new team. As such, the Patriots would save approximately $4.9 million against the cap if they were to trade Agholor.
(Photo Cred: USA Today Sports Images)
Photo Cred: Getty Images
Kendrick Bourne
The 26-year-old has become one of the Patriots most-reliable receivers. In his first season with New England, Bourne caught 55 passes for 800 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games. In the Pats lone playoff matchup with the Buffalo Bills, he compiled seven catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns. He also demonstrated an ability to be a threat in the running game, 12 carries for 125 yards. The versatile wideout even tossed one touchdown pass; coming in the form of a 25-yard, first-quarter scoring strike to Agholor against the New York Jets in Week Seven. As a receiver, Bourne has aligned in the slot, and on the outside. Though his technical prowess allows him to win from either alignment, he has looked most comfortable in the Z-receiver role, while occasionally assisting in the slot. However, Bourne has also been called upon to line up at the ‘X’ at times, with a respectable level of success. He is fully expected to be among the Patriots key contributors on offense in 2022.
N’Keal Harry… The Odd Man Out?
Harry’s future in New England will continue to be among the most compelling stories of the team’s offseason. The 32nd overall selection in the NFL’s 2019 draft, the Arizona State product has clearly struggled during his three seasons as a Patriot. Appearing in 35 games, he caught only 59 combined passes for 619 yards and four touchdowns. Harry also carried the football eight times for 56 yards, never elevating himself into a starting role within the New England offense. In 2021, he actually saw more action as a blocker in the running game rather than a pass catcher. Harry was asked to block on 53 percent of his offensive snaps, finishing with a mere 12 catches for 184 yards. According to Pro Football Focus’ Doug Kyed, teams have expressed “recent interest” in Harry and that he is “a name to keep an eye on as a potential trade candidate before the draft.” If he is not traded by the team in the offseason, 2022 projects to be his final year in New England, as the team is unlikely to pick up his fifth-year option at a price tag of $12.4 million in 2023.
In light of Parker’s acquisition and Thornton’s drafting, Harry’s days in a Patriots uniform appear to be numbered.
