Kenbrell Thompkins turns heads at minicamp
New England Patriots second-year wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins was a training camp star as an undrafted rookie out of Cincinnati last year before catching 32 passes for 466 yards and four touchdowns in 12 regular season appearances. This year it’s been second-year WR Josh Boyce who has stood out the most during offseason workouts, whereas the injured Aaron Dobson has been rightfully headlined as a potential massive breakout player in 2014. However, today was Thompkins’s day to shine, as multiple beat writers raved about his performance today at Patriots minicamp.
MassLive.com’s Nick Underhill, NESN’s Doug Kyed, and the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe all highlighted Thompkins as a standout performer, with Howe pointing out a few big plays he made on big-name free agent acquisition Brandon Browner, who is one of the game’s most physical corners. As we learned last offseason (plenty of that thanks goes to Aqib Talib), Thompkins’s excellent release off of the line of scrimmage allows him to have an easier time against physical corners than most. Tom Brady had a great day of minicamp, and both he and Thompkins reportedly hooked up for an excellent fade route that has everyone happy.
It’s great to hear that Thompkins is having a great offseason, and he certainly took full advantage of the absences of Brandon LaFell and Dobson. Boyce suffered a minor injury today, so that also cleared the way for KT to have even more big plays. He figures to be a solid possession receiver if he makes the roster, but the Patriots will have to make one very tough cut at WR this offseason due to their depth. With Boyce and Thompkins both standing out, it looks like the two talented second-year pros could be fighting for the same roster spot, unless if the Patriots decide to pull the trigger and cut a veteran.