Tag: 529522

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Thornton’s fit: Given the most recent chapter of the Patriots’ shaky history selecting receivers early in the draft — when they whiffed on N’Keal Harry at the end of the 2019 first round — the status of 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton has been a notable storyline through nine training camp practices.

Just as the Patriots selected Harry over Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf in 2019, they nabbed Thornton this year before a run of receivers that included George Pickens (Steelers), Alec Pierce (Colts) and Skyy Moore (Chiefs).

There are early signs that a 2019-type scenario isn’t repeating itself.

“It’s been exciting to watch him grow, honestly, because he came in a little questionable,” fellow receiver Jakobi Meyers said. “Then he started getting real. Real talented. I’m happy he’s with us.”

The 6-foot-2, 182-pound Thornton, who was the fastest receiver at the 2022 NFL combine (4.28 seconds in the 40-yard dash), acknowledged that his arrival in the spring came with some initial turbulence.

“The first week was kind of difficult for a lot of us, just coming from having that transition from college to the NFL ,” he said, adding that he soon settled into a more consistent routine.

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Scenes from the bleachers: Speedy WR Tyquan Thornton (2nd round, Baylor) has won over fans early in his first NFL training camp. pic.twitter.com/JRkKywe1Jp

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 4, 2022

In doing so, receivers coach Ross Douglas said of Thornton last week: “He’s gotten better every single time he’s stepped on the field. He truly has a lot of gifts. It’s not just his speed. His ability to change direction, ball skills. He has a good attitude and the guys in the room have embraced him. His development will be key and we’ll get him there.”

Thornton’s reliable hands and ability to track the deep ball have consistently shown up in 1-on-1 drills. Now comes the challenge of transferring that into 11-on-11 drills, where he’s most often working behind Meyers, DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne — a foursome that appears locked in atop the depth chart.

Thornton, who has been buoyed by a small section of fans supporting him each day, has also worked as a gunner covering punts — a role that could add value and help solidify a spot on the 46-man game-day roster.

“I like where he is mentally,” Agholor said. “He has a growth mindset, practices really hard, takes good notes.”

Added cornerback Jalen Mills: “We all know he’s fast. I think the biggest thing for me, he’s just not running go routes every single play. You see him working his short-to-intermediate routes as well.”

2. Mac & Judge: Last year, whenever quarterback Mac Jones came to the sideline, he was usually shoulder-to-shoulder with former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Their connection was critical in Jones’ successful rookie season. Who that will be in 2022 could come into sharper focus during Thursday’s preseason opener against the Giants, and it’s likely to be quarterbacks coach Joe Judge.

“You can’t fast-forward a relationship,” Judge said when asked about Jones. “You have to build on it every day. That comes in building trust, that comes in learning each other and how to work with each other, and what that guy needs to help him be at his best. That’s my priority. To me, it’s all about open communication … He’s an intelligent player. He’s a very hard worker. He knows what he likes, he’s willing to tell you. But he’s also willing to try anything if it’s best for the team. He’s been fun to work with.”

3. ‘Inching along’: How big of a deal to make about the early inconsistency of the offense? That question lingers, as there have been more “no chance” plays — in which Jones and rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe have simply tucked the football or thrown it away — than the norm for a Bill Belichick-coached team. Part of that seems related to the Patriots experimenting with new things. Belichick said late last week that the team was “inching along” while adding there are “miles to go” — which seems to reflect where the offense is through nine practices.

4. Kraft’s candidacy: Belichick touted owner Robert Kraft’s Pro Football Hall of Fame candidacy in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio’s “Movin’ The Chains” program. Kraft is a semifinalist, and while there’s no set criteria for Hall of Famers, Belichick highlighted three layers that bolster Kraft’s case.

“He’s a phenomenal owner,” Belichick said. “You look at what he’s done across the board. He’s made great contributions to the league, in things like the CBA and other policies, and the growth of the league. He’s obviously done a great job here in New England, just keeping the team in New England and not letting it out of here, and the success he’s had. And off the field — just the philanthropy and contributions he’s made to the community.

“You could put him in the Hall of Fame for any one of those. Combine all three together and hopefully we’ll be celebrating in Canton next year.”

5. Godchaux’s value: Belichick opened eyes when he referred to Davon Godchaux as “one of the best defensive linemen in the league” after the Patriots signed him to a two-year, $20.8 million extension. Defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington added context in explaining how Godchaux’s work isn’t easily detectable, but vital to the defense: “His ability to stop the run, defeat blockers and push the pocket to affect the quarterback is [among] the best in the league.”

6. Jonnu’s turnaround: Tight end Jonnu Smith‘s 2021 production didn’t measure up to the four-year, $50 million contract he had signed as a free agent, but there are signs that could be changing. “He had a terrific offseason for us,” Judge said. Last year, the Patriots ran just 190 of their offensive plays (18%) with both Smith and fellow tight end Hunter Henry on the field, according to ESPN’s Stats & Information. That number should increase in 2022.

7. Rookie #’s coming: Belichick’s annual tradition of putting rookies in unconventional jersey numbers ends for 2022 this week with the team’s first preseason game, as league rules don’t allow for things like Thornton, a receiver, wearing No. 51. “It’s going to be real sad,” Thornton said with a smile. “I feel like 51 is a part of me now — that big, old jersey and I’m running around. I was having fun with it.”

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Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship in action: As Patriots DL coach DeMarcus Covington met with reporters before one practice,
Keith Jones watched the process unfold.

Jones, a grad assistant at Arkansas, has a fellowship position during Patriots training camp. pic.twitter.com/xPPlFHFSIX

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 6, 2022

8. Fellowship in action: As Covington answered questions from reporters last week, Arkansas graduate assistant coach Keith Jones looked over his shoulder. It was a snapshot of the Bill Walsh Coaching Fellowship in action; Jones played for Covington at Tennessee-Martin in 2015 and has been working at Patriots training camp this summer as a fellowship coach. “I always was taught as you continue to climb, you help pull others up,” Covington said.

9. Butler follow-up: When the Dolphins released former Patriots defensive tackle Adam Butler with a failed physical designation last week, some wondered if that could mean a return to New England for the interior pass-rusher. That’s unlikely in the short-term, sources say, as Butler must first address a lingering shoulder issue from last season. Meanwhile, LaBryan Ray (Alabama) has caught the eye as a Butler-type possibility — an undrafted free agent making a charge for a roster spot due to his pass-rushing skills.

10. Did you know? This year marks the first time since 2004 the Patriots won’t conclude their preseason with a game against the Giants.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Thornton’s blazing speed: Running the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine is one of the ultimate solo pursuits for rookies looking to break into the league. All eyes are on them. No one is there to pick them up.

How former Baylor wide receiver and Patriots second-round pick Tyquan Thornton prepared for that defining moment — in which he posted a blazing time of 4.28 seconds, the fastest of any receiver this year and fourth fastest of any receiver since 2006 — is a notable story that potentially bodes well for his transition to the pros.

Thornton was planning to prepare in Texas but made a late switch to XPE Sports in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was part of a training group with Baylor cornerback Kalon Barnes (seventh round, Panthers) and University of Texas-San Antonio cornerback Tariq Woolen (fifth round, Seahawks).

The three produced the fastest times at this year’s combine — Thornton’s 4.28, Barnes at 4.23 and Woolen at 4.26.

“They just kept pushing each other. It was a competition and it ended up working well where they all killed it at the combine,” said XPE’s Matt Gates, who has been training prospects for the combine since 2003.

Just as Thornton fed off the competition with Barnes and Woolen, the Patriots are banking on the same thing happening in a New England receiver room headlined by DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers.

There is more to playing football than running a 40-yard dash, of course. So how Thornton’s scorching speed is blended into the Patriots’ overall system — and if he can master a variety of routes — will be one of the key determinants of whether the team had a successful draft.

Gates, who worked with the 6-foot-2, 181-pound Thornton for a 10-week stretch that began in early January, is optimistic.

“When we started pre-testing, I was like, ‘Man, we’ve got something here,'” he said. “Super smooth. Super explosive. And honestly, for a guy that is that fast, you don’t typically see someone who can change directions and catch the ball well. A lot of times you’ll see straight-ahead wide receivers who can blow the top off it, but they can’t run a route. Tyquan can do all that — he’s got good hands, he’s smart, he picks things up quick.”

One example of how Thornton picks things up came early in the 10 weeks spent training with Gates.

“His technique wasn’t great. Even though he had a track background, we just had to tighten up some things on his start and a few things along the way,” Gates said. “It clicked right away.”

2. Heat prep: With the Patriots scheduled to open the season in Miami, hydration and conditioning — always important — figure to be emphasized that much more throughout training camp. Along those lines, the Patriots and Raiders are planning to hold at least one of their Las Vegas-based August joint practices outside, with the other inside Allegiant Stadium. Las Vegas weather in August is often sizzling, with highs sometimes hitting triple digits.

3. Jedd’s guests? The Patriots might see a benefit of staying out West after their Week 14 game against the Cardinals, instead of traveling home and then turning back around for a Week 15 game on the road against the Raiders. Coach Bill Belichick has done that in the past, most recently with back-to-back road games in Los Angeles in 2020. If so, an extended stay at the University of Arizona — where former Patriots quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch enters his second year as head coach — would make sense.

4. Rookie intros: Offensive lineman Cole Strange and the rest of the Patriots’ 2022 rookie class were on the field for the first time Friday and Saturday in a closed-to-the-media rookie minicamp, and they will now spend the majority of the offseason in town as they transition to life in the pros. Members of the draft class were brought in two weeks ago for more of a brief introduction, and now the official onboarding process is underway and the daily on-site work begins. While always subject to change, May 26 is the first time media members are scheduled to have access at practice.

5. McDuffie & McCourty: University of Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie, whom the Chiefs traded up with the Patriots to select at No. 21 overall, was compared to longtime Patriots captain Devin McCourty by a scout when factoring in his combination of on-field talent and off-field traits. While the Patriots were widely acknowledged to have received excellent value in their trade down to No. 29 — gaining third- and fourth-round picks — the trade could ultimately be judged differently if McDuffie turns that McCourty comparison into reality.

6. Patriots’ request: One of the notable nuggets from NFL Vice President of Broadcasting Mike North was that the Patriots requested to play their games out West back-to-back if possible, which tied into New England ultimately getting four straight prime-time games. It’s a request other teams made as well, with North noting Atlanta, San Francisco, Miami and Las Vegas falling into that category.

7. Eyes on Watson: Any potential discipline that Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson faces from the NFL bears watching in New England when considering the Patriots travel to Cleveland in Week 6. Whereas the Patriots face Arizona later in the season and won’t benefit from missing DeAndre Hopkins during his six-game suspension, there’s an element of unknown with whether they’ll see Watson.

8. Kraft’s SBJ honor: A crowd of about 1,000 is expected at the Marriott Marquis Times Square on Wednesday night, when Patriots owner Robert Kraft will join esteemed company as he is presented the Sports Business Journal Lifetime Achievement Award. Kraft is scheduled to be introduced by Meek Mill. The award goes to leaders and pioneers who have helped shape the dynamic sports industry, and past winners include Dan Rooney, Jerry Jones and Paul Tagliabue — all of whom are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. SBJ publisher and executive editor Abraham Madkour highlighted how Kraft’s background as a fan has shaped his Patriots ownership tenure.

9. Ekuale’s choice: Defensive lineman Daniel Ekuale was elevated from the Patriots’ practice squad seven times last season and provided some interior pass-rush presence. Little-known story: He considered an opportunity to join the Bills for the playoffs but elected to stay in New England on the practice squad instead. Ekuale will now vie for a roster spot at a position that includes returning starters Davon Godchaux and Lawrence Guy, along with Christian Barmore, Byron Cowart, Carl Davis and sixth-round pick Sam Roberts.

10. Did you know: The Patriots visit the Vikings on Thanksgiving, marking the first time they’ll play a game on the holiday since 2012, and the sixth time overall:

• Nov. 22, 1984 — 20-17 loss to Dallas

• Nov. 23, 2000 — 34-9 loss to Detroit (Tom Brady‘s NFL debut)

• Nov. 28, 2002 — 20-12 win against Detroit

• Nov. 25, 2010 — 45-24 win against Detroit

• Nov. 22, 2012 — 49-19 win against N.Y. Jets (Mark Sanchez butt fumble)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Taking it to the house: This promises to be the best Mother’s Day ever for Luisa Turner. A gift of a lifetime by her son, Patriots receiver Kendrick Bourne, makes it so.

Turner will spend the day in her new home in Oregon, which Bourne purchased for his parents just a few weeks ago.

While it is much bigger than their prior two-bedroom, one-bathroom residence — and has everything from a basketball court to a hot tub and sauna — it’s what that space represents that means the most to Mom.

“When I walked in, it just felt like home. I could see my life — my grandchildren here, my kids here,” she said. “It warms my heart that he did this for his family.”

Bourne, who has three siblings, had told his parents, Luisa and Eric, of his dream to buy them a home. He asked them to explore different possibilities and let him know what they found.

That’s when he decided to add a playful twist to it all.

When Luisa told him this was the one, Bourne relayed that he spoke with the realtor and they might not be able to close the deal based on another offer. So he identified a different house for them to consider.

Luisa was appreciative, of course, but the location of the second option wasn’t as preferable because it wasn’t as close to Kendrick’s Oregon residence.

Ultimately, Kendrick brought his parents back to the original house and handed them a floor mat that read “Home Sweet Home.” The house was theirs.

“That’s when I burst out in excitement,” Luisa said. “Since he was a baby, he’s been something else!”

Bourne’s sense of humor, and positive demeanor, have been staples with the Patriots since he signed a three-year contract worth a maximum of $22 million in March of 2021. His hard work as a football player — elevating from undrafted out of Eastern Washington in 2017, to hooking on with the San Francisco 49ers, and then to the Patriots — set the stage for his gift to his parents.

“He’s just a great son — a golden child,” Luisa said. “I tell him that all the time.”

2. O’Brien on hand: Bill Belichick previously said the Patriots’ coaching staff was likely complete, but that doesn’t mean visitors won’t be welcomed at various times — and Belichick’s network is deep. Along those lines, players took note of current Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien on the field at Gillette Stadium last week at the voluntary offseason program. O’Brien, of course, has deep roots in New England as a former Belichick assistant.

3. Groh at Shrine Bowl: Eric Galko, the director of football operations and player personnel for the Shrine Bowl, pointed out that the Patriots tied for the NFL high (with the Titans) by drafting four Shrine Bowl players.

The players are receiver Tyquan Thornton (second round), cornerback Jack Jones (fourth round), running back Pierre Strong Jr. (fourth round) and defensive tackle Sam Roberts (sixth round). While it might have been a coincidence, the presence of New England director of personnel Matt Groh throughout Shine Bowl week was notable to Galko.

“He was one of the longest-staying executives, there for at least four days,” he said. “One of the things we added this year was a lot of formal interview time. Most all-star games have 8 to 10 hours of interview time with players, sometimes up until 11 o’clock at night. Not for us. We had 24 hours of available interview time, all structured throughout the day.

“I think for executives like Matt, who were there and took advantage, they probably got a lot of good character and background feedback, for sure.”

4. Jones’ character: Jones, the fourth-round pick from Arizona State who began his career at USC, was arrested for breaking into a restaurant in 2018. A plea agreement reduced the initial felony charges to a second-degree misdemeanor charge of commercial burglary. In 2020, he was also suspended at Arizona State for fighting during practice. Teams had to investigate those issues while scouting Jones. Galko, who says he got to talk with Jones at Arizona State before inviting him to the Shrine Bowl, vouches for him.

“I think a lot of people see the one incident he had as an 18-year-old kid at USC, and [assume] that’s who he is. It’s really important, when assessing character for a player, [to consider] it’s not about what the player has done before but what they may do in the future. Is that past behavior predictive? …[Jones] made a mistake, he owns it, and it isn’t something he glosses over.”

5. Lofty comparison: While acknowledging he has a vested interest in Jones’ success as a Shrine Bowl alum, Galko, who previously founded Optimum Scouting and was a head personnel executive for the XFL, compared his potential to some of the draft’s top-rated cornerbacks.

“His ball skills, timing and reaction makes him special. I think in terms of pure man coverage ability, Ahmad Gardner, Derek Stingley Jr., he’s in that … ‘upside’ category,” he said.

Gardner went fourth overall to the New York Jets, one pick after Stingley was selected by the Houston Texans. Jones was selected 121st, and some draft analysts believe that was early.

If Jones delivers at the level Gardner and Stingley project to as top-5 picks, that would be quite a story in New England.

6. Thanks, mom! In an interview with the Patriots’ in-house media, Thornton, the second-round pick who ran a 4.28 time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, (fourth best for a receiver since 2006) credited his blazing speed to his mother, Latasha Jackson. Thornton said she was always the fastest in her class. A perfect Mother’s Day note, indeed.

7. Strong report: One NFL scout projects Strong, the running back from South Dakota State, to follow in the footsteps of James White, Shane Vereen and Kevin Faulk in terms of his role. “He is a pure speed, third-down back,” the scout said, adding that he hoped to see more toughness from Strong at times. “He didn’t dominate enough at the end of this year when they were making their playoff push to make me say ‘This is the guy.’ But he definitely has talent. Catches the ball. He’s got traits, the production is good, but one question I had is why were they alternating him during the playoffs against Montana State?”

8. Schedule preview: The NFL releases its 2022 regular-season schedule on Thursday night, which will pair the much-anticipated when to the already-known against whom. One of the first thoughts last week, when it was announced receiver DeAndre Hopkins is suspended for the first six games of the season, was if the Patriots might catch a break with an early-season date at Arizona. Ditto with a road game against Cleveland, with the possibility that quarterback Deshaun Watson faces an early-season suspension.

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Patriots 2022 opponents solidified:

🏈Home: Ravens, Bengals, Colts, Bears, Lions, Bills, Dolphins, Jets

🏈Away: Browns, Steelers, Raiders, Packers, Vikings, Cardinals, Bills, Dolphins, Jets

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 10, 2022

9. Older draft class: Patriots first-round pick Cole Strange turns 24 in July, and fellow rookies Thornton (22 in August), Marcus Jones (24 in October), Jack Jones (25 in December), Strong (24 in December), and Bailey Zappe (just turned 23) reflect how COVID-19 made this an older NFL-wide draft class. Age wasn’t a major concern for the Patriots. “Once you start getting to some of these older players, it’s a factor that you keep in mind, and I think the position plays a factor in that,” Groh said. “But I don’t think there’s that big of a difference between some of those age groups that we’re talking about.”

10. Did you know? The Patriots selected seven offensive players in the 2022 draft, the most of any team in the NFL, and their most in a draft under Belichick, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots‘ rookie class has been widely panned by draft analysts, with some scouts and executives across the NFL also sharing their viewpoint with ESPN that first-round pick Cole Strange and second-rounder Tyquan Thornton went earlier than their teams had anticipated.

“I just don’t think they got value with their first two picks this year,” ESPN senior draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. wrote.

Fellow ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay echoed those thoughts, calling the Strange pick “eyebrow-raising” while noting he was his 77th-rated prospect overall.

• Kiper’s draft grades for every team »
• McShay’s 32 favorite picks »
• Rankings | Analysis of every pick
• Winners, losers: Day 1 » | Day 2 »
• Answering big Round 1 questions »
• More coverage » | Full draft order »

Jordan Reid, another ESPN draft analyst, rated Strange a third-round pick.

While everyone expressed respect for longtime coach Bill Belichick, and acknowledged that he could ultimately have the last laugh, the Patriots’ early draft work — and how it didn’t align with the boards of draft analysts or other teams — became a topic of discussion in some NFL circles.

What does it really mean?

Not much now. After all, there is no shortage of examples of the Patriots being widely praised after a draft, only to later learn the class didn’t produce the expected results (here’s one random example from 2019 — an A for what now looks more like a D draft).

So much happens between when a player is selected and the three-year window that most around the NFL believe is the benchmark for when a draft can be most fairly analyzed.

How the players are coached and brought along in the system is critical. The mentality of how they take that coaching, and adjust to football as their full-time job, is equally important. Injuries are sometimes a factor.

So at this point, instead of a knee-jerk instant analysis of the Patriots’ draft class, perhaps a smarter approach is to de-emphasize the question of how they fared, and instead ask this: What did the Patriots’ draft approach say about how Bill Belichick views his team?

Here is one reporter’s take:

1. Speed deficient on offense: When you select the receiver (Thornton) and running back (Pierre Strong Jr.) who posted the fastest 40-yard dash times at the NFL combine in their respective position groups, it couldn’t be more obvious. More home run threats on offense were needed.

2. Changing of guard: One of the knocks on the selection of Strange was that the Patriots created the need by trading veteran guard Shaq Mason in March. That’s one way to look at it, but a more accurate assessment seems to be that Belichick didn’t view Mason’s performance as worthy of his salary and saw the draft as the best way to not only upgrade, but do so at a fraction of the cost. It didn’t have to be in the first round, but that’s the way it turned out.

3. Eyes on AFC East: The physical makeup and sticky-coverage/sudden playing style of third- and fourth-round cornerbacks Marcus Jones (5-foot-8, 174 pounds) and Jack Jones (5-foot-10, 171) seem like a direct response to what the Patriots face in the division — as dynamic Tyreek Hill joins Jaylen Waddle in Miami, and few Patriots could keep up with Bills pass-catchers Stefon Diggs, Isaiah McKenzie & Co., late last season — especially on deep crossing routes.

4. Still invested in young LBs: What to make of the Patriots passing on linebackers entirely? Belichick is not yet ready to give up on 2020 third-round pick Anfernee Jennings, and as director of player personnel Matt Groh said, 2021 fifth-round pick Cameron McGrone is like an “additional draft pick” after sitting out his rookie season while recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee suffered at Michigan. There’s also 2021 third-round pick Ronnie Perkins and 2020 second-rounder Josh Uche in the conversation.

5. White a wild card: Veteran running back James White said last week that he is still not cleared after having hip surgery last season. When the team drafts two running backs (Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris) despite already having Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson and White on the roster, it reinforces that the team is protecting itself when it comes to White’s status.

6. Hedge on Harris’ future: Harris enters the final year of his contract in 2022, and while an extension can never be ruled out, loading up the depth chart behind him with two draft picks could foreshadow how Belichick will view any future contract talks. It marked the first time the Patriots selected two running backs in a draft since 2011 (Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley).

7. Stidham on notice: Selecting Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe in the fourth round (No. 137) shines a spotlight on Jarrett Stidham‘s development. The 2019 fourth-round pick has not seemed to ascend and now has a real battle to make the team as a backup to Mac Jones.

8. Belief in Groh: Belichick seems to have put a lot of faith in Groh, the first-year director of player personnel and former national scout, considering he veered away from power programs on a few picks. Strange played at Tennessee-Chattanooga, fourth-rounder Strong at South Dakota State and sixth-round pick Sam Roberts at Northwest Missouri State.

9. Inner circle: As shown on Patriots.com, the Patriots have probably the smallest draft room in the NFL, with Belichick, Groh, owners Robert and Jonathan Kraft, director of scouting Eliot Wolf, pro scouting director Steve Cargile, senior football advisor Matt Patricia, college scouting director Camren Williams, director of football/head coach administration Berj Najarian and director of research Richard Miller among the selected few from the organization spotted on Day 1 of the draft. This is the leadership group Belichick has entrusted in a year of transition, with former director of player personnel Dave Ziegler having departed to become Raiders general manager.

10. Return game: After a down year on special teams, one way to bring back the mojo is to select arguably the draft’s most dynamic punt returner in the third round (Marcus Jones). Groh also said the Patriots will consider what second-round burner Thornton might contribute as well (possibly on kickoff returns). Projecting picks onto the roster is a significant part of the draft, and this was a reminder how the Patriots continue to place a significant emphasis on fourth down.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Relative athletic scores: The Patriots’ 2022 draft class spoke volumes about how Bill Belichick & Co. view the team’s deficiencies — specifically with a focus on speed in a game that continues to be played more in space.

Director of player personnel Matt Groh also pointed out how the Patriots have always placed a high value on toughness.

Whether the Patriots identified the right players to inject those traits into their roster will be determined in time, but how they came to the conclusion that guard Cole Strange (first round, 29th), receiver Tyquan Thornton (second round, 50th), and cornerback Marcus Jones (third round, 85th) were ideal targets was notable.

In short, the Patriots’ Class of ’22 — criticized in some circles because of the perception the team reached on players — might turn out to be the litmus test for how much stock teams should place in analytics and testing numbers when valuing players.

Relative athletic score, which grades a player’s measurements on a 0-to-10 scale compared to their peer group, is becoming more mainstream in football reporting, and the picks of Strange and Thornton provide a springboard to highlight them.

Strange, in particular, is off the charts.

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Cole Strange was drafted with pick 29 of round 1 in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 9.95 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 7 out of 1298 OG from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/RRKLKRSIJK #RAS #Patriots pic.twitter.com/FxExB6k1sR

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 29, 2022

When his measurements and testing numbers are compared to others at guard since 1987, he ranks seventh out of 1,298 prospects.

“He’s almost 6-[foot]-5, 300 pounds and runs sub-5 seconds in the 40 [-yard dash]. Benched 225 [pounds] 31 times. There’s not a lot of humans out there that are doing that,” Groh said Friday night.

Meanwhile, Thornton’s 4.28 time in the 40-yard dash is the fourth fastest by a receiver at the NFL combine since 2006.

Thornton’s relative athletic score is also promising, ranking 405th out of 2,785 receivers from 1987 to 2022. The speed is elite.

The trend continued on Saturday in the fourth round when the Patriots selected South Dakota State running back Pierre Strong Jr., whose 4.37 time in the 40-yard dash at the combine was tied for the fastest among running backs. Strong also had a high relative athletic score, with elite speed.

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Tyquan Thornton was drafted with pick 50 of round 2 in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 8.55 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 405 out of 2785 WR from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/rVWTfUMA2a #RAS #Patriots pic.twitter.com/w79vj8MnBm

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 30, 2022

Of course, projecting traits has long been a part of scouting. Relative athletic scores don’t play football on Sundays, and Strange, Thornton & Co., wouldn’t be Patriots if they hadn’t already transferred some of their unique athletic gifts to the field as football players.

But their elite testing numbers, and how the Patriots now project those to the NFL relative to the other 31 teams when assessing value, was an obvious storyline of note.

2. Why not McDuffie? It is often said that a team’s draft is best assessed after at least three years have passed, and with the Patriots’ 2022 class, a top player to watch will be cornerback Trent McDuffie. Had the Patriots stayed at the 21st pick overall and taken McDuffie instead of trading down to 29, they’d likely be getting a lot of “attaboys” for their work in filling a top need with a player who wasn’t expected to be available.

So why didn’t they?

One NFL scout pointed to McDuffie’s shorter-than-ideal arm length (29 3/4) as a possible reason the Patriots didn’t race to turn in their card — especially since they have traditionally preferred to play press-man coverage on the outside (where some view arm length as critical). Weighing that against the value the Patriots received to trade down (getting a solid haul of third- and fourth-round picks), they took the trade, knowing there was a small handful of players (including Strange) they were comfortable selecting at 29.

3. Thornton’s speed: In selecting Thornton, the fastest wide receiver in the 2022 draft, the Patriots might have had this statistic on the mind — New England receivers ranked 25th in the NFL in separation on deep balls last year. They had only 1.6 yards of separation on throws 20-plus yards downfield, per ESPN metrics powered by NFL Next Gen Stats.

At the same time, one point Groh made is that the team views Thornton as more than just a burner running down the field. “This isn’t just a linear guy. You see him really be able to get off the line,” he said. “And for as fast as he is, to be able to see him get in the red zone and do some things, it’s not just speed, it’s 6-2, ability to get up and really pluck the ball out of the air.”

Longtime NFL tape analyst Greg Cosell, of ESPN’s NFL Matchup Show, had highlighted Thornton as a receiver worthy of more attention before the draft.

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Here’s @gregcosell on new #Patriots WR Tyquan Thornton. “He may be along w/Jameson Williams the most vertically explosive player in the class. Speed consistently showed up on tape..refinement to his game when beating press..reminds me a lot of Chris Olave but tougher.” #ForeverNE pic.twitter.com/frmnDGLPOO

— Nik Athans (@NewEnglandNik) April 30, 2022

4. Early returns: The Patriots naturally hope Thornton and Jones develop into front-line options at receiver and cornerback, respectively, but not to be overlooked is their more immediate opportunity of helping the team in the return game. Thornton’s blazing speed could be a factor as a kickoff returner (he only returned eight kickoffs in college), and Jones is a top candidate to fill the void left by top punt returner Gunner Olszewski‘s departure. Over the past two seasons, Jones had 711 punt return yards and 12 punt returns of 12-plus yards — both the most in the Football Bowl Subdivision. In 2021, the Patriots ranked No. 18 in the NFL in kickoff return average (21.8 yards) and No. 6 in punt return average (11.3 yards).

5. Picks in 2023: A Friday night trade in which the Patriots gave up their late third-round pick (94) in exchange for Carolina’s late fourth-rounder (137) and a 2023 third-rounder showed how Belichick — with rock-solid job security — is often thinking ahead. The 2023 third-rounder essentially replaces what the Patriots previously traded for veteran receiver DeVante Parker. So when accounting for compensatory draft picks, and prior picks acquired from the Rams (Sony Michel) and Panthers (Stephon Gilmore), the Patriots have 2023 picks in the following rounds: 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 6, 6, 6, 7.

6. Don’t forget McGrone: In what was viewed by many as a deep inside linebacker class, the Patriots stayed away from it entirely in the draft. While it’s always dangerous to say that’s a direct correlation to how the Patriots view the linebackers already on the roster, Groh highlighted second-year player Cameron McGrone (2021 fifth round) as “kind of an additional draft pick” after not playing his rookie 2021 season while recovering from a torn ACL suffered at Michigan. Add in trade acquisition Mack Wilson and the re-signing of Ja’Whaun Bentley, and Groh said there’s a level of internal excitement with the linebackers. Also, safety Jabrill Peppers projects to play more in the box in certain packages, and fellow safeties Adrian Phillips and Kyle Dugger can as well.

7. Mac elevating: Strange said he received a welcome text message from quarterback Mac Jones, who invited him to dinner at Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse on Friday. A native of Tennessee who was making his first trip to New England, Strange said the gesture made him feel like he was home.

Jones’ invitation reflects what some teammates relay has been evolving behind the scenes, with Jones showing increasing comfort stepping into a leadership role while also letting his own personality come out.

“He’s a great guy and just as funny,” center David Andrews told season-ticket members at the team’s annual draft party Thursday. “He also loves playing this game. He loves the grind of this game. The preparation. He’s such a smart guy. Being an undrafted guy, there’s not a lot of pressure on you. Being a first-round quarterback, I can’t imagine the pressure. And I can’t say enough about how he handled it.”

8. White not cleared: When the Patriots take the field for voluntary offseason workouts this month, veteran running back James White (hip) likely won’t be participating. White said at the draft party: “I still have a little while to go [after] a pretty rough injury.” If third-year running back J.J. Taylor wants to make a decisive move to show he’s ready for the role, he has a golden opportunity this spring.

9. Brooks covers Texas: Groh, the Patriots’ director of player personnel whose fire and passion percolated late Friday night in his media Q&A, classily highlighted the work of area scout Alex Brooks after the Patriots selected players from Texas-based schools in Thornton (Baylor) and Marcus Jones (Houston). Brooks, entering his fifth season with the Patriots, covers Texas as part of his broader Southwest responsibilities. He played football himself at West Virginia (2013-16), and spent the spring of 2018 coaching at John Carroll University before joining the Patriots’ personnel department.

10. Did you know? Strange, whose full name is Devin Cole Strange, is the first player from UT-Chattanooga to be drafted since offensive lineman Corey Levin went in the sixth round in 2017. Strange tops Terrell Owens (89th in 1996) as the highest-ever Moc drafted into the NFL, and is the second UT-Chattanooga player drafted by the Patriots. Running back Marrio Grier (sixth round 1996) was the other.