We learned this week that Raiders’ fifth-round pick Dont’e Thornton is one of Maxx Crosby’s favorite rookies, and at least one NFL insider is predicting big things for the former Tennessee wide receiver in the years ahead.
Tony Pauline, who was first to report the latest issue around Christian Wilkins’ foot, has been complimentary of the Raiders’ draft and was particularly impressed with where they were able to get Thornton in the draft.
Pauline had a third-round grade on Thornton, and he believes the 6’4 speedster is going to make teams regret letting him slip to the fifth round.
“Dont’e Thornton Jr. is a developing wideout who displayed big-play ability last season at Tennessee,” Pauline wrote on Wednesday. “He’s tall, sure-handed and fast, timing 4.30 during combine workouts and playing to that speed on the field. His upside is incredible, and two years from now, people will wonder why he slid into Day 3.”
Thornton was widely projected to be a third or fourth round pick, and according to Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter, there were teams trying to move up in the draft to get him when Vegas GM John Spytek selected him with the 108th pick.
“I think he’s special,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast. “There were teams trying to trade up to get him when the Raiders selected him, so that’s a big deal. And I know that for a fact, because one of my friends’ teams was one of the teams trying to get up and he sent me a text when the Raiders picked him.”
Elsewhere around the team, Pauline dropped a couple nuggets on the offensive linemen Spytek and company added in the draft.
“The Raiders then drafted a pair of offensive linemen in the third round, Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant. Rogers was a tackle in college, and a good one at that,” Pauline said. “He possesses the strength, toughness and intelligence to start on Sundays, though it will be inside at guard.”
“Grant is incredibly athletic and mobile, but he needs to improve his strength, as he struggles finishing off defenders. He was a terrific left tackle at William & Mary, but he will need time before he’s ready to hold down the position on Sundays.”
