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. 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.ģ. 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). 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. 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. 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.īut 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.Ģ. Of course, projecting traits has long been a part of scouting. Strong also had a high relative athletic score, with elite speed.
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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. Thornton's relative athletic score is also promising, ranking 405th out of 2,785 receivers from 1987 to 2022. Meanwhile, Thornton's 4.28 time in the 40-yard dash is the fourth fastest by a receiver at the NFL combine since 2006.
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There's not a lot of humans out there that are doing that," Groh said Friday night. "He's almost 6-5, 300 pounds and runs sub-5 seconds in the 40. When his measurements and testing numbers are compared to others at guard since 1987, he ranks seventh out of 1,298 prospects. Strange, in particular, is off the charts. 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. 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. 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. view the team's deficiencies - specifically with a focus on speed in a game that continues to be played more in space.ĭirector of player personnel Matt Groh also pointed out how the Patriots have always placed a high value on toughness.
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Relative athletic scores: The Patriots' 2022 draft class spoke volumes about how Bill Belichick & Co. Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:ġ.
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You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĬould New England Patriots' top draft picks be a referendum on relative athletic score?įOXBOROUGH, Mass.