Raiders Sign Another Member of 2025 Draft Class

"Thornton Jr., a 6-foot-4, 205-pound wide receiver was selected with the 108th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He spent two seasons at Oregon (2021-22) before transferring to Tennessee (2023-24) for his final two seasons of his college career, appearing in 51 career games with 12 starts and recording 65 receptions for 1,426 yards (21.9 avg.) and 10 touchdowns," the Raiders said in a release.

"In 2024, he recorded 26 receptions for 661 yards (25.4 avg.) and six touchdowns. He led the FBS averaging 25.4 yards per reception and ranked first with six receptions of 50-plus yards," the Raiders said, "A native of Baltimore, Md., Thornton Jr. attended Mount St. Joseph, where he was rated the No. 1 wide receiver in Maryland after totaling 78 receptions for 1,881 yards (24.1 avg.) and 26 touchdowns."

Thornton could play a role for the Raiders early on in his career thanks to his ball skills, deep speed, and history of production. The Raiders clearly have high hopes for the receiver many have deemed an "Al Davis" pick.

"Long, linear target whose primary function is to take the top off of defenses. Thornton can play through early contact and works past tight man coverage. He’s talented at stacking cornerbacks and tracking the ball when he finds top positioning," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote about Thornton before the draft.

"He can strike over the top or with routes allowing him to catch on the move. His route tree is limited, so two-high safety looks could park him in the garage. He’s average after the catch on short throws but plays as big as he measures, winning contested catches on all three levels. Thornton is a low-volume target with erratic production, but teams looking for vertical juice should have him on their boards.

With the addition of Thornton, along with Ashton Jeanty in the first round, Jack Bech in the second round, and Charles Grant and Caleb Rogers later in the draft, the Raiders certainly made offense a top priority in this year's NFL Draft.

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