The Las Vegas Raiders may have found a fourth-round gem.
His name: Dont’e Thornton Jr.
The wide receiver has impressive physical traits that the late Al Davis would’ve loved, and he’s turned those into preseason production that has him lined up for a key role in the early season WR depth chart as a rookie.
The Raiders drafted Thornton in the fourth round of April’s NFL Draft, at No. 108 overall.
He started his college career at Oregon, but he broke out once he transferred to Tennessee. In 2024, he had 26 catches for 661 yards and six touchdowns, which works out to 25.4 yards per catch.
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Then at the NFL Combine, Thornton ran a 4.30-second 40-yard dash while also measuring 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds. He’s a physical monster.
This summer, Thornton has impressed, and his usage in the preseason finale showed that off.
Thornton was out there with the first-team offense, and down near the end zone, starting QB Geno Smith looked Thornton’s way for a back-shoulder jump ball near the front pylon.
The rookie came down with the pass for a touchdown.
Geno Smith to Dont’e Thornton Jr. for the @raiders TD!
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Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Y7ighsyaaQ— NFL (@NFL) August 24, 2025
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The Raiders’ best pass catcher is a tight end, Brock Bowers.
Jakobi Meyers is the incumbent WR1 and should hold down that role.
The other top returning wideout is Tre Tucker, a small speedster who isn’t a classic WR2.
Thornton could immediately step in as the Raiders’ second outside receiver, if they trust him. It certainly seems like Smith trusts him, and that’s really most of the story.
Remember Thornton’s name, because he’s coming for a bigger role than anyone expected right off the bat.
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