Raiders Rookie Proved to Be Fantasy Sleeper Throughout Preseason

Dont'e Thornton Jr. may have earned a feature role in Raider's offense after preseason

When the Las Vegas Raiders signed quarterback Geno Smith, it was surmised that their passing game would open, especially with the deep ball. Smith has never been one to shy away from letting one fly, and his new team has the personnel in place to take advantage of his strong arm and his guts.

Many thought that could lead to a breakout for third-year wideout Tre Tucker, who has the physical tools and collegiate resume of an NFL-level deep threat. Unfortunately, between Gardner Minshew II, Aidan O'Connell, and Jimmy Garoppolo, he hasn't had anyone capable of getting him the ball downfield so far in his professional career. That changes with Smith now under center.

However, Tucker might not be the biggest beneficiary of Smith's arrival. That honor might go to rookie receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr., according to Yahoo Sports' Ray Garvin:

"Every preseason game so far, Thornton has earned early looks with the Raiders’ first-team offense. In Week 3, it finally showed up on the stat sheet when Geno Smith connected with him on a 17-yard, back-shoulder touchdown. Thornton has been the starting X receiver since minicamp and has the size and speed profile to stretch the field and open things up for Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty and the entire offense.

At 6’4½" and running a 4.3 40-yard dash time, Thornton is an insane athlete with proven production from his college days, where he ranked first in YAC per reception, third in yards per route run and posted a 16.5-yard average depth of target. He is being drafted as WR78 (Yahoo rank 235), which makes no sense for a player locked into a starting role in a Chip Kelly offense that has historically emphasized the deep ball. His week-to-week volume may be inconsistent, but his ability to rack up chunk plays and air yards makes him a perfect late-round pick. Draft him with confidence."

Tre Tucker is far from an established talent in the NFL. If Dont'e Thornton Jr. can parlay his impressive training camp and preseason into a fast start in the 2025 NFL campaign, he could emerge as Geno Smith's third-favorite target, behind Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers.

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