Tyquan Thornton NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for New England Patriots’ WR

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HEIGHT: 6’2 3/8″

WEIGHT: 181

HAND: 8 1/4″

ARM: 33 1/4″

WINGSPAN: 6’7 1/4″

40-YARD DASH: 4.28

3-CONE: DNP

SHUTTLE: DNP

VERTICAL: 36.5″

BROAD: 10’10”

POSITIVES

— Twitchy and long athlete with good height and excellent long speed.

— Above-average route-runner who knows how to use his speed. Has good body control and twitch to sink on breaking routes and stay friendly to the QB.

— Has long arms and flashes a wide catching range. A springy athlete who can make some plays in the red zone.

— Willing blocker who sustains on his blocks. Shows good awareness of his assignment on run plays.

NEGATIVES

— Skinny frame will make him susceptible to more physical corners.

— Small hands and has some issues with drops, especially when attempting to bring a throw down through contact. Can see that he doesn’t trust his hands.

— Can rise up as he’s breaking on routes, giving away indicators to smarter defenders.

2021 STATISTICS

14 G, 62 REC, 948 YDS (15.3 AVG), 10 TD

NOTES

— 2021 second-team All-Big 12

OVERALL

Thornton is a tall, skinny burner at the receiver position whose play speed matches his timed speed. He is a twitchy athlete who flashes good body control as a route-runner and the ability to tempo his excellent long speed. Thornton’s length also shows up in the red zone and on throws away from his body. He has a wide catching range and can adjust for tougher throws.

Despite his wide catching range, Thornton has small hands and has issues with bringing down throws in a crowd or through contact. He doesn’t completely trust his hands; drops and double catches crop up. He will also still have to continue to work on his route refinement, as his long body type can give away route-break tendencies that better defenders in the NFL will take advantage of.

Overall, Thornton will be able to contribute early in his career as a deep threat who can take the top off defenses with his legit track speed. He is an adequate route-runner but will need more polish to be more useful on a down-to-down basis. Thornton is also a willing blocker for teammates and does not shy away from being physical despite his skinny frame, which might indicate some special teams potential as a gunner. His lack of consistent hands through contact will make or break his upside for a more prominent role. But teams will find immediate use for his ability in the red zone and of course his speed to open things up underneath for other options, with traits for outside starter potential down the road with continued development.

GRADE: 6.8 (Potential Role Player – 4th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 130

POSITION RANK: WR21

PRO COMPARISON: Ashley Lelie

Written by B/R NFL Scout Nate Tice