Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. (1) scores a touchdown in front of Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Kani Walker (26) during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Tennessee Volunteers at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How the Raiders Found a Diamond in the Rough

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated May 7, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Chad Reuter of NFL.com listed the players drafted on the draft's third day that he believes can have an immediate impact on their rosters by pushing for starting positions. He listed Raiders newly added wide receiver Dont'e Thornton as one of those players.

"If the Raiders give Thornton a chance on the outside, he very well could join second-round pick Jack Bech in the starting lineup after the first month of the season. He'll need to show he can execute more than just a 9 route to be a starter, but the potential is there," Reuter said.

According to Daniel Harms of the Draft Network, Thornton "can play inside or out, and his size and speed will be attractive to NFL organizations. With his size, he’s an effective blocker and routinely shows the “want to” block. A deep threat wherever he lines up, he showcases a variety of releases at the line of scrimmage and advanced hand usage to defeat/combat press coverage. He gets up to speed quickly, which puts defenders on notice, causing some to declare early and allowing Thornton to decelerate quickly on breakers and comeback routes. The consistency he decelerates needs to improve to create separation on an every-down basis, but there are signs of manipulation tactics thrown into his route stem.

"Intention and head usage open up space in the middle of the field, and Thornton recognizes defensive leverage quickly to alter his route path. He runs routes smoothly at 6-foot-5, but his route tree isn’t as developed as it needs to be with four years of experience. Physicality can throw him off his timing at the catch point, but he shows the tools with ball tracking and hand-eye coordination to be a deep threat at the next level. He’s always looking to play in defender’s blind spots to create added separation, and he’s an active receiver post-snap when the quarterback breaks the pocket."

Thornton will likely be somewhat of a project in Las Vegas, as the Raiders' coaching staff will have a development plan for the talented receiver. Thornton has flashed his potential but did so in limited playing time on the collegiate level.

"Thornton needs experience; he played only 534 passing snaps in college and continued showing nuanced movements that need honing. He wasn’t asked to be yards after the catch threat much for Tennessee, and much of the YAC he put up was on breakaway touchdowns," Harms said.

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

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