Former New England Patriots wideout Tyquan Thornton is performing at a high level with the Kansas City Chiefs. He has become a dynamic weapon and one of the team’s leading receivers.
Through three games, he is currently tied with Hollywood Brown for the most receiving yards on the roster. However, he currently leads the entire team with two touchdowns.
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His best performance so far came in Sunday’s game against the New York Giants, when he caught nine passes for 71 yards and a touchdown, averaging 14.2 yards per catch. That performance wasn’t just a one-time thing, either. The former Baylor standout has been steadily improving as a playmaker for the Chiefs.
He had five catches for 59 yards and a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles and four catches for 41 yards in the season-opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. Thornton, a former second-round draft pick, has nearly half of his career production total with the Patriots in only three games with the Chiefs.
It does help to have Patrick Mahomes throwing him the ball and Andy Reid calling the offensive plays. Mahomes has the rare ability to elevate the players around him, and Reid is one of the all-time great offensive playcallers.
Thornton has some natural physical gifts that the Patriots hoped would work out in their favor. He’s a tall and lanky receiver with incredible straight-line speed. Even if he isn’t the best route-runner, the Chiefs have managed to take advantage of his physical gifts and put him in a position to find success, which is something the Patriots have tried to do for years.
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This puts a spotlight on the Patriots’ struggles in developing their young talent over the years, particularly at the receiver position. N’Keal Harry, Thornton, Javon Baker and Ja’Lynn Polk are a few names that come to mind.
The Patriots are obviously hoping they can reverse their fortunes after using a third-round draft pick on rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams. That still doesn’t erase the thoughts of what could have been with Thornton, if he had been developed properly.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Former Patriots draft bust now a leading receiver in Chiefs’ offense