FOXBORO, Mass. – The transition from year one to year two is a substantial one and is something that New England Patriots receiver Tyquan Thornton has been prepared for. 

Coming out of college, Thornton weighed in at 181 pounds, but during the offseason, he has worked to build his strength. After seeing firsthand the difference in physicality between college and professional football, Thornton placed a big emphasis on this. 

"Just getting genuinely stronger, so I could be able to play out there a full season," Thornton said. 

However, when he was asked about how much eight he put on, the receiver simply said, "I won't go into detail about that."

Selected with the 50th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Thornton showed promise early in training camp and the preseason last year. However, an injury put him behind and forced him to miss time. 

In the second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, Thornton suffered a collarbone injury that required surgery.  

While the injury wasn't season-ending, Thornton was sidelined until Week 5 and finished his rookie season catching 22 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns across 13 games. 

While his speed was a noticeable skill, the receiver still has room to develop. 

Thornton credits the veteran receivers in the room for helping him grow during this offseason, listening to their expertise and experiences. 

One player who stood out during OTAs as a leader was DeVante Parker who is entering his second year with the Patriots. Along with Parker, Thornton mentioned Ty Montgomery, Kendrick Bourne, and Juju Smith-Schuster as other veteran players who he is leaning on.

"Those guys have played a lot of football so just taking little notes from them that can help my game out," Thornton said and expanded on his experience so far with Smith-Schuster. "He's a great guy. Keeps a smile on his face. Great energy."

So for Thornton his goal is simple heading into his second year: "preparing my body to play a full season."

"Last year was last year," Thornton said. "I'm focusing on today. Right now. Just getting better."

Featured Image via David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports