Dont'e Thornton Jr. was shot out of a cannon at his first training camp with the Las Vegas Raiders. The rookie was dubbed a rising star as he outperformed his Day 3 selection and earned a starting job after being a tough cover for the Raiders' secondary. His physical tools just couldn't be ignored.
But as Raider Nation knows well, Thornton Jr.'s role dwindled as the season went along. It became clear that Las Vegas' secondary was simply weak and that Thornton Jr. couldn't get it done against outside competition. A big Year 2 leap is needed from the youngster, but he hasn't made one yet.
John Spytek gave him and others a vote of confidence by not adding too many pieces at wideout, giving him a runway to improve ahead of the 2026 NFL season. But at camp, everything is trending the wrong way for Thornton Jr., from not standing out to injuries to others showing up in a big way.
The clock is ticking for Thornton Jr. to get healthy and start making an impact. Otherwise, he may ultimately find himself as an insignificant variable in the equation of the Raiders' wide receiver room, both in the short and long term.
Dont'e Thornton Jr. is trending the wrong way in Raiders' WR room
Coaches can't teach Thornton's 6-foot-5 frame and 4.3 speed; those are gifts from the universe that can't be taken from him. But what Thornton Jr. has to do is polish some of the rougher parts of his game, like his route-running, attacking the ball in the air and getting more physical.
Although we're not at training camp and haven't been privy to every bit of information, reports out of Las Vegas have been sparse, which is bad, and largely negative regarding Thornton Jr. At the start of camp, he was rotating in with the first-team offense quite a bit as the Raiders sorted through things.
And even though Tre Tucker and Jalen Nailor are obvious starters, Thornton Jr. and fellow second-year receiver Jack Bech were just behind them on the depth chart. But that has started to change in a negative way for Thornton Jr. as the padded practices have dragged on.
ESPN's Ryan McFadden mentioned that Thornton Jr. had a tough time separating from Decamerion Richardson and rookie Zeke Masses during 1-on-1 drills, which isn't a great sign from a big and fast player. The drill is practically designed for him to find a way to win, and he apparently couldn't.
The Athletic's Sam Warren also noted that Thornton Jr. struggled in this period. With his prospects at wide receiver diminishing, the second-year Tennessee product has to play special teams in order to make this roster or have an impact. He didn't do that in college or as a rookie, though.
But as his struggles have continued, the Raiders are starting to show him the ropes in the third phase of the game. That's not exactly a stamp of approval for how he is faring offensively. And to make matters worse, McFadden reported that Las Vegas' top three wideouts are Tucker, Nailor and Benson.
Benson, in particular, is a threat to Thornton Jr.'s job. Not only does Benson have good speed to keep the defense honest, like Thornton Jr., but he can play on special teams as a returner. Thornton Jr. doesn't have that ability. Benson has looked the part much more during the training camp practices.
Making matters worse for Thornton Jr. is that he has now been sidelined with an injury, missing the last two practices ahead of the preseason opener. As Lincoln Kennedy says, "You can't make the club in the tub," so Thornton Jr. is now even further behind the 8-Ball after also missing time in the spring.
Thornton Jr. has all of the potential in the world to be a great wide receiver for the Raiders. And he is still so young in his NFL career that it would be ridiculous to write him off in any way just yet. But the pressure is on for him to return from injury and start showing that he deserves to be a part of things.
Without a serious push before the 2026 NFL season, Thornton Jr. could easily get lost in the shuffle in the Silver and Black's wide receiver room. The clock is ticking for the young player, so let's see how he responds with his back against the wall once he's cleared to practice again.
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