New England Patriots rookie Tyquan Therton’s 40-yard sprint is a promising sign. – New England Patriots Blogger

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Notes and quick thoughts around FOXBOROUGH, Mass. New England PatriotsNFL:

1. Thornton’s lightning speed:For rookies hoping to break into the NFL, the 40-yard dash at NFL scouting Combine is the perfect solo endeavor. They have all eyes on them. They will not be picked up by anyone.

Baylor’s former wide receiver is now a Patriots second-round selection Tyquan ThorntonThe preparation for this moment was remarkable. He posted a blistering time of 4.28 seconds. This is the fastest time by any receiver this season and fourth fastest since 2006. It’s a story that may bode well for his transition to pro football.

Thornton originally intended to prepare in Texas. However, he changed to XPE Sports in Fort Lauderdale. There, he was part a training group with Baylor cornerbacks. Kalon Barnes(seventh Round, Panthers) & University of Texas-San Antonio cornerback Tariq Woolen (fifth round, Seahawks).

The fastest times were recorded by the three — Thornton at 4.28, Barnes at 4.23, Woolen at 4.26.

“They just kept pushing one another. It was a competition, and it worked out well where they all killed the combine,” stated Matt Gates of XPE, who has been training potential combine participants since 2003.

The Patriots hope that the Patriots will be able to do the same with a New England receivers room, just as Thornton did with Barnes and Woolen. DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick BourneAnd Jakobi Meyers.

There’s more to football than just running a 40 yard dash. How Thornton’s lightning speed is integrated into the Patriots’ overall program — and if Thornton can master a variety routes — will determine whether or not the team has a successful draft.

Gates worked for 10 weeks with Thornton, who is 6’2″ and 181 lbs, beginning in January. He is optimistic.

He said, “When we began pre-testing I was like, “Man, we have something here.” “Super smooth. Super explosive. You don’t often see a man who can change direction and catch the ball well for someone that fast. Many times, you will see wide receivers with straight-ahead speed who can catch the ball and run it. Tyquan can do it all. He’s quick, smart, and has great hands.

Thornton was able to pick up things quickly during his 10 week training period with Gates.

His technique was not great. Gates explained that even though he had track experience, we had to work on his start and other details. It clicked immediately.

2. Preparing for heatTraining camp will focus on hydration and conditioning, which is always important with the Patriots opening the season in Miami. The Patriots and Raiders plan to have at least one of their August-based joint practices in Las Vegas, while the other will be held inside Allegiant Stadium. August weather in Las Vegas can be hot. highs sometimes hitting triple digits.

3. Jedd’s guests?The Patriots may see the benefit of staying West after their Week 14 match against the Cardinals and then returning home to play a Week 15 road game against the Raiders. This is something Coach Bill Belichick has done in the past. He did it with back-toback road matches in Los Angeles in 2020. An extended stay at Arizona, where Jedd Fisch, former Patriots quarterbacks coach, enters his second season as head coach, would be a good idea.

4. Rookie intros:Offensive Lineman Cole StrangeThe Patriots’ 2022 rookie class was on the field Friday and Saturday for the first time in a closed-to the-media rookie minicamp. They will spend most of the offseason in town to prepare for their transition into the pros. Two weeks ago, draft class members were introduced to each other. Now the official onboarding process has begun and daily on-site work has begun. Media members will be granted access to practice May 26, although this is always subject to changes.

5. McDuffie & McCourty:Cornerback University of Washington Trent McDuffieTo select No. 21, the Chiefs traded with the Patriots for a scout named. 21 overall, was compared with long-serving Patriots captain. Devin McCourtyWhen he considers his combination of off-field talents and on-field talent, he is considered a scout. The Patriots were widely recognized as having received excellent valueTheir trade to No. 29 — gaining third and fourth-round picks. The trade could have been re-evaluated if McDuffie transforms the McCourty analogy into reality.

6. Patriots’ request: The notable insight from NFL Vice President of Radio Broadcasting Mike North is that the Patriots asked for their games to be played out West back-toback, which tied into New England. 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. Watson is the Eyes of WatsonAny discipline the Browns could use Deshaun WatsonFaces from the NFL bears are watching in New England as the Patriots travel towards Cleveland in Week 6. Arizona will be facing the Patriots later in the season, and they won’t get any benefit from it. DeAndre HopkinsDuring his six-game suspension there is an element of uncertainty about whether Watson will be available.

8. The SBJ award to Kraft:On Wednesday night, a crowd of approximately 1,000 will gather at the Marriott Marquis Time Square to witness Robert Kraft receive the Sports Business Journal Lifetime Achievement Award. Meek Mill will introduce Kraft. Meek Mill will introduce Kraft. Abraham Madkour, executive editor of SBJ, highlighted Kraft’s contribution to the industry. background as a fanHis Patriots ownership tenure has been shaped by him.

9. Ekuale’s choice:Protective lineman Daniel EkualeHe was promoted from the Patriots’ practice team seven times last year and served as an interior pass-rush presence. The little-known fact is that Ekuale was offered the chance to join the Bills for playoffs, but he chose to remain in New England and continue to practice with the practice squad. Ekuale is now competing for a roster spot in a position that features returning starters Davon GodchauxAnd Lawrence GuyAlong with Christian Barmore, Byron Cowart, Carl DavisSixth-round selection Sam Roberts.

10. Did you know:On Thanksgiving, the Patriots will visit the Vikings. This marks the sixth consecutive year of playing a Thanksgiving game.

• Nov. 22, 1984 — Dallas loses 20-17

• Nov. 23, 2000 — Detroit loses 34-9 (Tom BradyNFL debut of’s ‘

• 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)