Injury analysis: What does his medical record say about Patriots second-round draft pick Tyquan Thornton?

The New England Patriots elected to trade up in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, moving four spots to No. 50 to grab wide receiver Tyquan Thornton. The Baylor product has not just proven himself a legitimate speedster — he ran the fastest 40-yard dash among wide receivers at this year’s Scouting Combine — but also a rather durable player.

A look at his available injury history shows that Thornton has missed only a handful of games during his career up until this point.

Injury history

2020 (Baylor): After appearing in 30 games without any reported medical issues, Thornton suffered an undisclosed injury on a 10-yard kickoff return against TCU in late October. The issue forced him to miss the Bears’ next two games. He returned for two games against Kansas State and Oklahoma — catching a combined eight passes for 91 yards and a touchdown — but was held out of the season finale against Oklahoma State.

What it means for the Patriots

As with every player drafted by New England, the team has found no disqualifying medical concerns in its evaluation process. It is not hard to see why: Thornton missed only minimal time in his career due to injuries and in general has proven himself a player capable of withstanding a starter-level workload.

The biggest questions about him entering the league and the Patriots’ program have not to do with his injury history, but rather his frame. Measuring at 6-foot-2 he weighed just 181 at the Combine and 183 at his pro day. Time will tell how his slight build will hold up against NFL-level physicality, both from a medical perspective and in terms of effectiveness versus press-man coverage looks.

At the moment, however, those questions are only theoretical in nature. Based on what we know, the Patriots drafted a player with a rather clean medical history.