The Las Vegas Raiders had a major need at the wide receiver position going into the 2025 NFL draft, so the team decided to select both Jack Bech out of TCU and Dont'e Thornton out of Tennessee.
While Thornton came off the board two rounds later, he appears to have gotten off to a better start than his new teammate, Bech, who was taken in the second round.
Bech has been solid, but Thornton has routinely been mentioned as one of the biggest standouts at OTAs. Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal noted that Thornton is much more polished than originally thought.
"Thornton was still thought to need plenty of polish to become a productive pro receiver," Bonsignore wrote. "His college offense wasn’t too sophisticated.
"At OTAs, however, his footwork at the line of scrimmage appeared more advanced than advertised and his route running looked crisp. He could be further along than suspected," Bonsignore concluded.
Bonsignore also said that Thornton has been getting looks in the return game, so he could have a role very early, even if he doesn't get a ton of looks on offense.
We knew that Thornton had all of the physical traits to be a successful wide receiver in the NFL. Not only does he stand at 6-foot-4, but Thornton also possesses elite speed, as evidenced by his 4.30 40-yard dash time.
But the expectation was that Thornton would need more development to really hit his ceiling. By the looks of it, Thornton doesn't need as much work as we all suspected, which is great news for Las Vegas' shaky wide receiver corps.
There is more than enough room for Thornton to make a big impact on offense in his first season. The Raiders only have one sure starter at wide receiver in Jakobi Meyers, and Brock Bowers will likely serve as the No. 1 pass-catcher.
Behind those two, the Raiders have Tre Tucker, Bech and Thornton all competing for work. Tucker is, of course, the most experienced of the three, but his ability to lock down a significant role over the rookies is far from guaranteed.
By the looks of it, there appears to be a chance that Thornton might be ready to start on the outside in Year 1, but there's a long way to go.
