The New England Patriots are being urged to consider drafting this towering under-the-radar playmaker in the NFL Draft.
This upcoming NFL Draft class is incredibly deep at wide receiver, which is phenomenal news for a New England Patriots team that desperately needs help at the position.
Yes, the Patriots added Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins in free agency, but let’s be honest: New England should add more pieces, as Diggs is recovering from a torn ACL and Hollins is nothing more than an auxiliary option.
While New England may not be able to nab Travis Hunter with the fourth overall pick (he may be off the board by then), the Pats should have plenty of opportunities to grab potential difference-makers at wide out later this month, even on Day 3 of the draft.
Bernd Buchmasser of Pats Pulpit has put together a list of 12 receivers that should pique the Patriots’ interest over the next couple of weeks, and he named one incredibly intriguing option: Tennessee Volunteers star Dont’e Thornton Jr.
“A rare specimen at the wide receiver position, Thornton Jr. ranks in the 95 percentile at almost 6-foot-5 and in the 97 percentile with a 4.3-second 40-yard dash,” Buchmasser wrote. “His college production never looked the part, however, and he will need to prove himself worthy of a bigger role than the one he had at Tennessee. Still, he is worth a Day 3 dice roll.”
Thornton hauled in 26 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns this past season, good for an explosive average of 25.4 yards per catch. That was enough to lead the country.
So, why isn’t the towering Thornton viewed as a more enticing option in this year’s draft? Well, he isn’t the greatest route runner in the world, and he is a bit of a one-trick pony in that he isn’t incredibly creative after the catch.
However, there is no doubt his physical attributes and freakish athleticism make him well worth a potential flier in the later rounds.