The Las Vegas Raiders rookie WR Dont’e Thornton Jr. is displaying his talents and catching the eye of offensive coordinator Chip Kelly
The Las Vegas Raiders‘ 2024 season did not produce the explosive plays needed to win in Today’s NFL. It is the reason John Spytek and Pete Carroll focused on building an offense full of explosive players through the draft. The Raiders had two draft selections at the wide receiver position in their first four picks.
A player who built his college career on being explosive was wide receiver Dont’e Thornton out of Tennessee. Thornton averaged 25.5 yards per catch in 2024 for the Volunteers and led the team in receiving with 662 yards. He then followed it up with a blazing 4.3 at 6’5, displaying rare speed for a player his size.
Donte Thornton Jr. with a smooth break into the skinny post with acceleration. Then he takes it for 80. pic.twitter.com/5wUgT7X1pS
— Marcus Johnson (@TheMarcJohnNFL) May 2, 2025
According to reports, Dont’e Thornton has been one of the standout rookies during OTAs.
Two rookies who’s shown flashes today: Ashton Jeanty and Dont’e Thornton.
— Levi Edwards (@theleviedwards) May 29, 2025
Chip Kelly noticed as well. His size will allow him to become a threat outside and Kelly is excited about what he can bring to the table.
They’re learning, and I think Dont’e is unique in terms of he’s just a hair under 6-5 and he ran 4.3. There’s not a lot of humans on this planet that do that. And I think if you had a draw up an outside receiver, you would pick that type of body type, someone that’s got length, someone that’s got a huge catch radius, but also has speed. Sometimes you can get a big guy like that, but he can’t really run, so they can stay with him. So, you add that speed element to him, his ability to sink his hips, his ability to get in and out of cuts.
Thornton has a chance to become a star if he can reach his full potential, combining a unique blend of speed and size. If he can continue to grow as a route runner, the sky is the limit for the fourth-round pick.
