The moment Tyquan Thornton roasted Myles Bryant off the line of scrimmage and hit the accelerator on a slot fade from Brian Hoyer during a minicamp rep this summer, I knew I was watching something different.
It wasn't just that Thornton, who ran a blazing 4.28 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, blew by Bryant, who isn't the most fleet of foot. It was the way everyone, including Bryant, looked while they were trying to catch up with Thornton. It was as if everyone in the rookie receiver's immediate vicinity was moving at half-speed -- not even trying to make up ground -- when in reality they were giving it everything they had.
That was what it felt like watching Thornton glide easily through the Cleveland Browns defense on his second touchdown of the game -- an end-around sweep that saw him walk past multiple Browns defenders with ease.
With Nelson Agholor out and Kendrick Bourne dealing with turf toe, Thornton got more than half of the Patriots' offensive snaps, caught four of his five targets for 37 yards and a score and added 16 yards on the ground along with another touchdown.
In the process, he might be about to inject even more life into a New England offense that has gotten better seemingly every week.
Thornton's first NFL touchdown catch was an example of that: destroying his man out of the slot with a quick release and separating more with each stride before Bailey Zappe found him in the end zone. The assumption that he would only be useful between the 20s is already being proven shortsighted. What he lacks in elite size, he makes up for in game-breaking speed and quickness off the line of scrimmage.
Having the rookie contributing at this level might be about to make this offense that much more dangerous.
He's proven he can threaten coverage every time he's on the field, including when he drew two defenders toward him on Hunter Henry's easy touchdown catch in the third quarter. Though his lack of muscle could hurt him when cornerbacks get physical, he's been able to use his footwork to neutralize it and then win with speed. Plus, the Patriots getting him involved as a ball-carrier several times against Cleveland gives future opponents even more to think about, which can help open holes in the run and pass game for others.
Being able to put Thornton next to DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers and Agholor (when healthy) as well as the tight ends Henry and Jonnu Smith, who had breakout games on Sunday, adds a dash of speed the Patriots were missing offensively and creates even better matchup opportunities for his teammates. If safeties know they have to be aware of Thornton running deep, it's harder to cheat on 50-50 balls to Parker or give help on Meyers, the team's best receiver.
And if you let Thornton cook his man one-on-one, well…it might be six points.
Everything the Patriots have shown us, from trading up to select the Baylor product 50th overall to activating him from injured reserve after just two days of contact practice, tells you how much the team loves this young man.
If he keeps playing like this, you're going to love him, too.
Thornton doesn't look like just another fast guy the Patriots fell too much in love with. He looks like a key to unlocking the offense's untapped potential.
