In the wake of rookie Tyquan Thornton’s collarbone injury, the New England Patriots are looking into potential future additions at wide receiver.
As reported by ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Sunday, the Patriots brought in rookie Kaden Davis for a “tryout.” Davis had previously signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent after the 2022 draft, but was waived as part of roster cut-downs on Aug. 16.
Davis played he 2019 and 2021 seasons at Northwest Missouri State, which also happens to be the alma mater of Patriots sixth-round rookie Sam Roberts. In his final year, he caught 44 passes for 703 yards and 10 touchdowns in 13 games. He had three two-touchdown games and two with over 100 receiving yards, and also added a 90-yard kickoff return for a score.
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The Patriots’ look at Davis happened less than three days after Thornton injured his collarbone in last Friday’s preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. Thornton is reportedly expected to miss up to 10 weeks. Kristian Wilkerson (head injury) isn’t expected to be available for the Pats’ joint practices or preseason game in Las Vegas this week.
DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor, and Kendrick Bourne are still the clear top-4 options on the Patriots’ wide receiver depth chart, but Lil’Jordan Humphrey’s strong preseason could push him toward a 53-man roster spot. Humphrey, Tre Nixon, and Josh Hammond all remain on the roster, with at least one of them likely to end up on the practice squad.
According to Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus, Bourne made the trip to Las Vegas with the Patriots after sitting out of last Friday’s preseason game. So other than Thornton and Wilkerson, the Patriots should be at full strength at receiver against the Raiders.
New England will practice on their own on Monday, then hold joint practices with Las Vegas on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Pats’ preseason finale takes place Friday night at Allegiant Stadium.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.