Nov 30, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. (1) blows a kiss to the Tennessee Volunteers fans in the stands after his touchdown catch against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

4 Things To Know About Raiders' Dont'e Thornton Jr

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Brock Vierra | Last updated May 14, 2025 8:00 AM ET

When the Raiders' selected Dont'e Thornton Jr., they gained a speed threat who wants to dominate. What they also gained is a true student of the game ready to do whatever it takes to win as a team.

Here's four things to know about Thornton Jr.

1. Thornton ran a 4.3 40.

At the NFL Combine, Thornton put his speed on display in front of the Raiders brass. Thornton spoke about his performance after he was drafted.

"I'll just say, along with being a deep threat down the field, a big guy that's fast. I'd say just bringing a great player into the program, a guy that's going to do whatever it takes to make the program better in any aspect."

"I’m just basically doing my one percent all the time. And, yeah, that's the biggest thing, just coming in and being a great guy for the team."

2. He models his game after some of the NFL's biggest receiving threats over the past 20 years

"I model my game after Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones, and then more lately I've been watching a lot
of Nico Collins. I be trying to imitate a lot of things that he shows. And then just looking at the group of guys that I'm going to be joining, I'm very excited. I feel like we have the potential to be a very explosive offense and overall team in general, so I'm definitely excited."

3. He played at Oregon and Tennessee

Thornton played with Oregon from 2021-2022 before transferring to the Volunteers. Thornton helped the Volunteers make the College Football Playoff in 2025. He spoke about his decision to transfer.

"I’d say just looking at Jalin Hyatt and seeing how he had won the (Fred) Biletnikoff Award in 2022 and
seeing how explosive the offense was, I felt like it was like the perfect match for me. At that time, I was the number one receiver in the portal that year. So, I thought with me having the aspiration of wanting to go to the NFL and being a receiver, Tennessee was the best option for me. And I definitely feel like it paid off. Like it wasn't immediate and it didn't turn over the way I wanted as fast as it did, but it ended up being all good for me at the end of it."

4. Thornton is a bona fide deep threat that will stretch the field for the Raiders

Thornton led the FBS in 2024 in yards per reception, averaging 25.4 yards per catch and he ranked first with six receptions of 50-plus yards. A perfect player for Geno Smith's arm talent.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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