The Raiders completely overhauled their offense in one offseason, which is hard to do. But they accomplished that after trading for Geno Smith, drafting Ashton Jeanty, and hiring Chip Kelly to run the unit. The passing attack will still run through Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, but there is another young player who could earn targets right away in Las Vegas.
Dont’e Thornton was one of three receivers whom the Raiders selected during the 2025 NFL Draft. Jack Bech was a second-round pick and is expected to get some looks as a slot receiver. Tommy Mellott is a former quarterback who will be making the transition to receiver at the next level, but he isn’t guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster.
And then there is Thornton, the big, fast receiver from Tennessee, who was selected in the fourth round. He isn’t the most polished receiver, but there are very few receivers in NFL history who have his combination of height, weight and speed. And he is already starting to turn heads in Las Vegas.
Raiders rookie Dont'e Thornton poised for major rookie campaign
In a recent article by ESPN and their team of 32 beat writers, they wrote about one player from every team who has been the biggest surprise this offseason. For the Raiders, that was none other than Thornton. Here is what Ryan McFadden had to say about the former SEC star after offseason workouts:
"The fourth-round pick made a strong case to be a Day 1 contributor for Las Vegas. Thornton received a good amount of reps with the first-team offense, as his combination of size (6-5, 205) and speed (4.3 40 at the combine) makes him a threat in the intermediate and deep passing game," McFadden wrote. "The Raiders didn't make major moves at wide receiver this offseason, meaning Thornton and second-round pick Jack Bech will be asked to step up in a big way in Year 1. Thornton showed he could be ready to answer the call."
Las Vegas needs more speed on their offense as Bech and Myers aren’t deep threats, and Tre Tucker hasn’t developed into a consistent option thus far in his career. That is where Thornton comes in, after averaging 20 yards per catch during his collegiate career.
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Thornton needs a lot of development, but there are similarities between him and D.K. Metcalf. Funny enough, Pete Carroll is the one who selected Metcalf in Seattle, and Geno Smith had a lot of success throwing him the football.
It’s too much to expect Thornton to be a starting receiver from Day 1 for the Raiders, but don’t be surprised if he has a role in the offense right away. There is just no one on offense with his size and speed, and with teams likely loading up the box to stop Bowers and Jeanty, that will mean that Thornton has plenty of one-on-one looks down the field.
Time will tell if Thornton ends up becoming a steal for the Raiders in Round 4. But it’s hard to ignore the drumbeat of positive news surrounding the rookie receiver coming out of the offseason. And in just a few weeks, Raider Nation will finally get to see him in action.