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Thornton release highlights Patriots’ awful drafting, lack of elite talent originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots built a dynasty largely on successful draft picks. Tom Brady, Richard Seymour, Rob Gronkowski, Dont’a Hightower, Devin McCourty, Vince Wilfork and many others were drafted, developed and became key pieces of teams that won the Lombardi Trophy six times in a 18-year span.
The current state of the Patriots can be described by the opposite scenario. New England’s roster is bereft of high-end talent, perhaps more than any other team in the NFL. So it’s not surprising that the Patriots are 3-8 entering Week 12, or that they finished 4-13 at the bottom of the AFC standings last season.
What’s the No. 1 reason for the Patriots’ recent malaise? Bad drafting.
There are multiple ways to build a perennial contender. Trades are important. Free agent signings fill in gaps here and there. But the most effective way to build a roster for long-term success is through the draft, and this is an area where the Patriots have failed mightily in recent years.
The draft class that really hammers home this point is 2022. The Patriots released wide receiver Tyquan Thornton over the weekend. He was a 2022 second-round pick (No. 50 overall) out of Baylor. Injuries and poor performance prevented Thornton from making any kind of impact in two-plus seasons with the team.
Thornton tallied 39 receptions for 385 yards and two touchdowns in 28 career games for the Patriots. The Pittsburgh Steelers took rising star wideout George Pickens two picks after Thornton in 2022. The Indianapolis Colts selected wideout Alec Pierce three picks after Thornton. The Arizona Cardinals took Trey McBride — one of the league’s top up-and-coming tight ends — five picks after Thornton. The Buffalo Bills got starting running back James Cook with the second-to-last pick in that round.
As bad as the Thornton pick was, it might not even be the worst one in that 2022 class for New…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/thornton-release-highlights-patriots-awful-175822985.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-11-18 17:58:22
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