When the Las Vegas Raiders selected Dont’e Thornton Jr. in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, eyebrows raised. The 6-foot-5 receiver had only 65 receptions across four college seasons. But to Raiders brass, Thornton wasn’t a finished product—they saw a rare athletic mold worth betting on.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Thornton ran a blazing 4.30-second 40-yard dash, making him the tallest player in Combine history to hit that mark. His rare size-speed combination was impossible to overlook. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who previously coached at Oregon during Thornton’s early years, praised his unique physical gifts.
Las Vegas Raiders See Rare Potential in Rookie Wideout Dont’e Thornton Jr.
“Dont’e is unique… there’s not a lot of humans on this planet that can do that,” Kelly told Raiders.com. “If you had to draw up an outside receiver, you’d want someone with length, a huge catch radius, and real speed. Usually, you get one or the other. He has both.”
That blend of tools is straight from the Al Davis playbook. In fact, general manager John Spytek said owner Mark Davis joked the pick would have made his late father proud.
“Mark joked that was the Al Davis pick of this draft,” Spytek said. “The height, weight, speed, raw traits… I think it’s just focusing on what he can do and what he can be.”
Thornton enters a wide receiver room that’s still searching for a true pecking order. Jakobi Meyers is the most proven name, while tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer are expected to carry much of the passing load. That leaves room for a hungry rookie like Thornton to climb the depth chart quickly—if he puts in the mental work to match his physical traits.
The Raiders, now led by Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly, are clearly building with development in mind. They believe Thornton’s ceiling hasn’t even been approached.
“It’s about what he can become,” said Spytek. “And we think he hasn’t hit his ceiling yet.”
In a new era of Raiders football, Thornton could be one of the team’s most intriguing breakout candidates—especially if he continues turning heads the way he did at the Combine.
