While you could see that wide receiver Dont’e Thornton had talent, he didn’t post big numbers during his days with the Tennessee Volunteers, which led many to believe he’d be a project upon entering the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Drafted in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft, which was also two rounds after the Raiders drafted former TCU wideout Jack Bech, Thornton was expected to play, at most, a limited role in his first season in Las Vegas.
However, as it turns out, Thornton is making the case that he should have a much bigger role in his first season with the Raiders, and maybe even bigger than Bech.
Thornton has routinely been a standout throughout the offseason, both at OTAs and in minicamp. Levi Edwards of Raiders.com even went as far as to say that Thornton has been Las Vegas’ best rookie.
“This offseason, Thornton has been one of, if not the most impressive rookie for the Raiders,” Edwards wrote after practice on June 10.
Two things draft analysts figured Thornton needed to polish were his foot work and route-running.
However, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal lauded the rookie for looking better than advertised in both areas.
“Thornton was still thought to need plenty of polish to become a productive pro receiver,” Bonsignore wrote. “His college offense wasn’t too sophisticated.
“At OTAs, however, his footwork at the line of scrimmage appeared more advanced than advertised and his route running looked crisp. He could be further along than suspected,” Bonsignore concluded.
As Thornton continues to build serious momentum in his first offseason, the upstart rookie has seen the fruits of his labor, with Las Vegas regularly giving him looks with the first-team offense.
“Thornton has spent a good amount of time with the first-team offense,” ESPN’s Ryan McFadden wrote. “Las Vegas would occasionally have Thornton and Tre Tucker on the outside while Jakobi Meyers lined up as a slot receiver.
“Thornton has a unique blend of size and speed,” McFadden added. “The former Tennessee pass catcher stands at 6-foot-5 and completed the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds at the NFL scouting combine. The Raiders are expecting Thornton to provide vertical juice to the offense.”
Thornton is the definition of an intriguing player when it comes to his physical tools.
Not only does Thornton stand nearly 6-foot-5, he’s also got blazing-fast speed, as evidenced by his 4.3 40-yard dash time, which really put him on the NFL draft map.
The Raiders entered the offseason with a lot of uncertainty at the wide receiver spot, where the team didn’t have a true No. 1.
Jakobi Meyers is a heck of a wide receiver, but he’s best suited as a No. 2. Behind Meyers, the Raiders lacked another sure starter at the position, with third-year wideout Tre Tucker the favorite to land a starting role alongside Meyers.
With the Raiders’ shaky wide receiver situation, and with Thornton thriving and looking to be ahead of schedule, the former Tennessee Volunteers star is looking primed to make a huge impact in his first season.
