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Dont'e Thornton Jr. 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Tennessee Volunteers WR

Originally posted on The 33rd Team | By Kyle Crabbs | Last updated Apr 15, 2025 11:12 AM ET

Height: 6045 (verified)

Weight: 205lbs (verified)

Year: Senior

Pro Comparison: Devaughn Vele

Scouting Overview

Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. is an impressive blend of height/weight/speed ability who has the vertical juice to be a dangerous downfield weapon in the right offense.

He’s not been a consistent producer despite playing in as wide open of an offense as you can find in college football. However, his legitimate 4.3 speed with a monster catch radius and massive frame is enough to gather anyone’s attention and warrant an investment as a developmental receiver.

2025 NFL Combine Results

Position	Name	School	40-Yard Dash	10-Yard Split	Broad Jump	Vertical Jump	3-Cone Drill	20-Yard Shuttle	Bench Press
WR	Dont'e Thornton Jr.	Tennessee	4.3	1.51	126	33

Positives

Has a surreal blend of juice and juice to win down the field
Illustrates desired ability to track the football on deeper developing routes
Possesses some significant play strength that make him difficult to bottle up at the line of scrimmage

Negatives

Offensive role is very narrow and will require significant transition to work within an NFL offense
Route running acumen must be further developed to win on more than vertical routes
Will need more clubs in the bag if he wants to make an impact into the middle of the field

Background

Thornton Jr. is from Baltimore, MD, and played high school football at Mount Saint Joseph HS. There, he was a highly coveted 4-star recruit (247 Sports) who initially enrolled at Oregon as a member of the 2021 recruiting class. Thornton Jr. played two seasons with the Ducks before entering into the transfer portal as a 4-star transfer (247 Sports).

He landed with Tennessee and was a fringe contributor in 2023 before missing the final month of the season due to a leg injury. He set career marks in targets (34), receptions (26), receiving yards (662), and receiving touchdowns (6) in 2024 to finish his college eligibility.

Tennessee wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. (1) runs in a touchdown during the second quarter at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.

Tale Of The Tape

Thornton Jr. is a fascinating long-term developmental bet for a team with considerable offensive stability. Although his production profile is underwhelming, his raw tools are a rare blend of uncoachable qualities that are sure to get any offensive coach to sit up in his chair.

There's a dynamic ability to separate and stack vertically down the field. Thornton Jr. goes quickly from zero to 60 and boasts good play strength to negotiate contact inside the first five yards. Once he can open his strides and stack, he’s a highly difficult player to run with.

Even those who can take him stride for stride then have to compete with his length at the catch point and try to cut down the ball’s flight angle from in phase. It’s not an easy chore.

Teams can obviously bake in protection here with a Cover-2 look rolled over Thornton Jr. — and that’s where he needs to diversify his game. As constructed, he doesn’t have a lot of other answers or routes to execute in order to create separation.

As a result, he’s simply a field stretcher who can be too easily deterred from targets. He’s a high-cut player who will never have elite short-area quickness, but there’s plenty of room to grow with how he tempo his route stem and sells false breaks before gearing down and breaking open.

The ceiling does not look to be that of a featured player in an offense, and the fact that Thornton Jr. hasn’t been more of an impact producer at the college level should temper the excitement around his rare blend of skills.

However, he’ll force structural respect from defenses if he can prove to play through the press at the NFL level and, as a result, can be a useful depth player for a receiver room.

Ideal Scheme Fit, Role

Thornton Jr. projects as a developmental Z receiver at the NFL level. He has the build of an X-receiver to play in isolation, but his limited route-running diversity and speed down the field have him much better equipped to develop into a big-bodied field stretcher who can lift the top of the coverage.

Grade: 69.00/100.00, Sixth Round Value

Big Board Rank: TBD

Position Rank: TBD

This article first appeared on The 33rd Team and was syndicated with permission.

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