A recently-drafted New England Patriots wide receiver could be in line to make a real impact in 2023. And we're not talking about their 2022 second-round pick.
While second-year wideout Tyquan Thornton didn't play in Saturday's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers due to a shoulder injury, a pair of 2023 sixth-round picks -- Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte -- both contributed, combining for four catches to build on their positive progression in training camp.
Most teams typically carry no more than five wide receivers on their 53-man roster, however, and New England has a locked-in top three of JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne. That leaves a pressing question: Should the Patriots leave Thornton off their 53-man roster to make room for both Douglas and Boutte?
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As things stand right now, our Tom E. Curran believes that's a realistic scenario.
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"Bourne, Parker, JuJu, Demario Douglas -- and Kayshon Boutte is a better player right now than Tyquan Thornton has shown," Curran said Saturday on Patriots Postgame Live when asked to project which receivers the Patriots may keep.
"I know that Tyquan Thornton was a higher draft pick, but if you prove it and if you're out there all the time -- as (Boutte) has been -- and when you're out there, you produce, and you show good hands, then however you make the decision, whether Tyquan Thornton ends up on IR (injured reserve) or whether he ends up released and then sent to the practice squad, you've got to go with the best players in my estimation.
"And right now, Kayshon Boutte has shown more in his three weeks than Tyquan Thornton really showed, because we haven't seen a lot of Tyquan Thornton."
While injuries and effort level were concerns for Boutte coming out of LSU, the 21-year-old has been a consistent contributor throughout training camp and the preseason, and showcased impressive athleticism on a 42-yard catch-and-run touchdown Saturday night in Green Bay.
Douglas, meanwhile, has impressed so much in camp that the Patriots actually held him out of their preseason opener against the Houston Texans earlier this month, a potential sign that they view him as a real contributor in 2023.
As for Thornton? The Baylor product occasionally showcased his blazing speed as a rookie last season while catching 22 passes for 247 yards and a pair of touchdowns. When healthy, he could be a valuable deep threat for New England. But availability has been a recurring issue for Thornton; he missed part of the preseason and four regular season games last season due to a collarbone injury and sustained a shoulder injury in practice Thursday that reportedly is a "week-to-week situation."
If Thornton's injury lingers, perhaps the Patriots put him on injured reserve to start the season and keep both Douglas and Boutte on the 53-man roster. Or perhaps they give their 2022 second-rounder another chance to realize his potential in 2023.
But the team's pair of late-round wideouts are making it harder and harder to justify getting rid of them as cutdown day approaches.