The Raiders are one of the most legendary organizations in the history of professional football. Countless great players and coaches have worn the Silver and Black over the years, but none of made quite the impact that the late Al Davis did.
Davis was a pioneer when the Raiders transitioned from the AFL to the NFL, and he permanently changed the landscape of professional football with numerous decisions he made. He held various capacities with the team, serving as a head coach, general manager and owner.
In his later years, when he was making decisions in the NFL Draft, he tended to lean toward players who were both incredibly big and lightning fast. This caused him to swing and miss on a few prospects as he put physical attributes over production on the field, but the new regime in Las Vegas honored this approach with their fourth-round pick on Saturday.
Raiders make Al Davis proud with speedy wide receiver steal on Day 3
Las Vegas selected Tennessee wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. with the No. 108 overall pick on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, which is the exact kind of selection that Al Davis would have made.
Thornton did not have the production that most other receivers had during his college career, but his measurables are off the charts. Standing at just under 6-foot-5, Thornton ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash, which is the fastest mark of any player standing over 6-foot-3 in the history of the event.
During his senior season at Tennessee, he caught 26 passes for 661 yards and six touchdowns, which does not exactly jump off the page. However, Tennessee had a poor passing attack last season and he was the team leader in both receiving yards and touchdowns.
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He will be the perfect fit for the Raiders' offense as the team will benefit greatly from his speed on the outside. Thornton can open up the field for Las Vegas and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, which will allow players like Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers to dominate even more.
General manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll have had an excellent draft through their first six selections, taking five offensive players already in the first four rounds.
The team still has five more selections on Day 3, but the Raiders can rest assured that they have shored up their wide receiver room and that the legendary Al Davis would be proud of who they picked.