Mac Jones Sees Strides From New England Patriots Rookie Tyquan Thornton Despite Recent Trend

New England Patriots wide receiver Tyquan Thornton scored touchdowns by ground and by air in his second NFL game beyond the preseason. But the sudden production has slowed down since that October meeting with the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Thornton stands with four catches over the past four games. He stands with 13 targets over that span while totaling 42 yards. And as his side returned from the bye against the New York Jets, the Baylor product saw the huddle for 17 out of 63 snaps behind veterans Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor and Jakobi Meyers — a career low.

But New England’s starting quarterback provided a vote of confidence in the rookie’s development.

“It’s great to have him out there,” Mac Jones told reporters during his Tuesday press conference at Gillette Stadium. “I watched his college film and all that stuff. There’s a lot of things that he did that I really liked. They’re obviously translating to the NFL. He’s done a great job.”

The Patriots traded up to No. 50 overall in the second round to select the fastest wideout on hand at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. In tandem with the 40-yard-dash time of 4.28 seconds, there was the resurgent senior year that led to second-team All-Big 12 honors and an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl.

His 62 receptions for 948 yards and ten touchdowns utilized more than speed in a straight line. Yet utilizing Thornton more frequently in motion and on jet sweeps could help widen his all-around traits as well as the field.

In an offense sitting 31st in red-zone scoring rate with 28 total sacks allowed, that explosive element will be needed for the AFC playoff push.

Thornton hasn’t taken a handoff since his second week back from the fractured clavicle that sent him to injured reserve to begin the fall. At a lean 6-foot-2, 182 pounds, he also hasn’t found much room to release off the line of scrimmage and into his patterns.

“Everyone obviously knows he’s fast,” Jones said of Thornton. “But he does other things really well, too. From the mental aspect, he definitely plays very well and knows where to line up, all that stuff. So he’s done a great job.”

Thornton turned 22 in August. Two starts have been notched since then with the 6-4 Patriots. So have longs of 19 and 21 yards in the passing game. But he is averaging 0.61 yards per route run, according to Pro Football Focus, which ranks last among the wideouts on the active roster and is tied for 170th around the league at the position.

Time will tell whether that trend changes course when the 8-2 Minnesota Vikings host Thanksgiving at U.S. Bank Stadium. Thursday’s 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff will arrive against a cornerback room that ruled out both Akayleb Evans and Andrew Booth Jr. on the final injury report.

“I’m excited to play with him, and we’re going to continue to grow together,” added Jones, who completed 23-of-27 passes for 246 yards during his last start.