ESPN Includes Patriots Player Among 2023 NFL Draft ‘Winners’

The Patriots selected 12 players in the 2023 NFL Draft, a development that’ll undoubtedly shape New England’s roster for the upcoming season and beyond.

Whether it’s new position battles or holdovers retaining some level of job security, every pick has a trickle-down effect, which often flies under the radar when assessing each team’s draft class following the three-day event.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell on Wednesday explored the players currently on NFL rosters most impacted by rookie arrivals. He compiled a list of “winners” and “losers” based on whose situations were affected by draft decisions, and a Patriots wide receiver’s name popped up.

Barnwell listed Tyquan Thornton as a “winner,” with the Patriots opting against drafting a wide receiver until the sixth (!) round despite speculation that New England might focus on the position as early as Round 1.

Here’s what Barnwell wrote about Thornton:

Thornton looks to be heading toward more meaningful snaps. Despite suggestions the Patriots would look to target a wide receiver in Round 1, coach Bill Belichick passed on Jaxon Smith-Njigba to select cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Belichick didn’t draft a wideout until Round 6, when he used a pair of selections on Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas.

As the speediest wide receiver on New England’s roster, Thornton will undoubtedly have a role as the designated deep threat. There’s still some veteran flotsam in the way of every-down work, most notably DeVante Parker, whose $5.7 million base salary is not guaranteed. Kendrick Bourne, who the organization seemed to sour on in 2022, is also out of guaranteed money. If the Pats cut either player in camp, Thornton would be in line to benefit.

Thornton, a second-round pick (50th overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft, flashed upside in his rookie season but mostly took a back seat as New England’s offense struggled. Now, with Bill O’Brien assuming the play-calling duties as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator while Mac Jones enters his third season as the starting quarterback, it might be time to see whether Thornton can make an impact.

After all, there’s a reason Bill Belichick used such valuable draft capital on Thornton — a 6-foot-3, 182-pound speedster out of Baylor — and perhaps a reason why the Patriots didn’t prioritize choosing a wide receiver early in this year’s draft.

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