6 Players to Watch in Giants-Patriots Preseason Week 1: Tyquan Thornton, Nelson Agholor in Pats Passing Game

The New England Patriots host the New York Giants in Week 1 NFL preseason action on Thursday and there are opportunities available for some younger players to show that they can get the job done at this level.

Here are half a dozen players to keep an eye on for Thursday’s action:

Tyquan Thornton, WR, New England

A second-round pick of the Patriots, Thornton is a lean 6-foot-3 wide receiver who had 62 catches for 948 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior at Baylor.

New England has veteran wide receivers DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers, and Nelson Agholor on the roster already, but after using an early pick on Thornton, he surely has an opportunity to make the team.

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At the same time, New England’s track record of drafting wide receivers is not great, so any kind of positive signs out of Thornton would be welcome.  

Nelson Agholor, WR, New England

Following a 2020 season with the Raiders that was probably the best of his career, Agholor did not have a productive first season with the Patriots, catching 37 passes for 473 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games.

But the Patriots seriously need their veteran receivers to step up and early indications from Patriots camp, from the guy that matters, suggest that Agholor could be on the right track.

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New England looks like they will be using second and third-string quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and Bailey Zappe in this game, so the receivers could do a lot to help move the ball.

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Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants

A 5-foot-8 receiver that the Giants drafted in the second round, Robinson has a chance to earn a significant role with Big Blue.

As a junior at Kentucky, Robinson had 104 catches for 1,334 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games, the kind of production that obviously made him appealing in the draft.

Getting out to a quick start in the preseason would help Robinson earn that prominent role.

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Daniel Bellinger, TE, New York Giants

A fourth-round pick out of San Diego State, Bellinger is listed at 6-foot-5 and 253 pounds and is athletic enough to be a receiving threat.

He had 31 catches for 357 yards and two touchdowns as a senior for the Aztecs and joins a Giants team that has an obvious opening in the starting tight end role.

With Kadarius Toney not expected to play against the Patriots, Robinson and Bellinger should both step up to the opportunity presented by more targets.

Pierre Strong Jr., RB, New England

After missing the first week of training camp, the Patriots’ fourth-round pick out of South Dakota State could use some reps in the preseason game to show New England that he could be a viable contributor this season.

The Patriots have Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson returning in the backfield, but James White is on the PUP list and that could offer an opportunity for a rookie to earn a spot on the roster.

In his senior season, Strong had 1,686 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns then had a reported 40-yard dash time of 4.37 seconds. The preseason is a fine opportunity for Strong to prove that he belongs.

Evan Neal, RT, New York Giants

The seventh pick in the draft, Neal is an enormous right tackle, listed at 6-foot-7 and 360 pounds.

There are many issues with the Giants offense, but if Neal can pave the way for Saquan Barkley in the running game and help keep quarterback Daniel Jones clean, that would go a long way.

In the first preseason game, Neal may not have a full complement of starters around him, but he can still show off his ability to control the line of scrimmage.Make sure to keep an eye on our Live Odds page throughout the week to get the best lines possible and connect with others in the SBR community on our popular sports betting forum.