Patriots Select Wide Receiver Tyquan Thornton 50th Overall

Patriots draft wide receiver Tyquan Thornton with 50th overall pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The New England Patriots have made their move for a wide receiver.

Bill Belichick and Co. traded up four slots in the second round with the Kansas City Chiefs, landing wide receiver Tyquan Thornton out of Baylor University in exchange for the 54th and 158th overall picks in the draft. 

Thornton, 21, played in 42 games at Baylor over four seasons, catching 143 passes for 2,242 yards and 19 touchdowns. As a senior last fall, he caught a career-best 62 passes for 948 yards and 10 touchdowns, finishing second in the Big 12.

Devin McCourty offers warm welcome to Foxboro for Cole Strange

A native of Miami, Florida, the 6-foot-2, 181-pound Thornton ran a blistering 4.28 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.

What a detail on Thornton from @dpbrugler in The Beast. (Go get it.) "Skinniest wrists in the draft (6 1/8 inches)."

Patriots clearly attacking speed at WR. Thornton lighter than most highly-drafted NE receivers. Couldn't threaten down the field last year. Maybe Thornton helps.

— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) April 30, 2022

Thornton is the first player selected by the Patriots from Baylor since 2006, when they drafted defensive back Willie Andrews in the seventh round.

At 50th overall, only N'Keal Harry (first round, 32nd) and Chad Jackson (second round, 36th) have drafted higher by Belichick among wide receivers than Thornton.

Thornton joins a wide receivers room consisting of DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor and -- for now -- Harry, the disappointing 2019 first-round pick.