Dont’e Thornton might have entered the NFL as a Day 3 draft pick, but his upside could fast-track him into a key role with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Chad Reuter of NFL.com recently spotlighted several late-round selections who could make an immediate impact, listing Thornton among the players with a real chance to crack a starting lineup sooner than expected.
“If the Raiders give Thornton a chance on the outside, he very well could join second-round pick Jack Bech in the starting lineup after the first month of the season,” Reuter wrote. “He’ll need to show he can execute more than just a 9 route to be a starter, but the potential is there.”
Las Vegas Raiders WR Dont’e Thornton Has Starter Potential
Thornton arrives in Las Vegas with clear traits that intrigue evaluators. Dane Brugler of The Athletic called him “a nine-route monster,” noting his exceptional deep speed and big-play ability.
“A two-year starter at Tennessee, Dont’e Thornton was an outside receiver in head coach Josh Heupel’s spread scheme (95.7 percent of his 2024 snaps came outside the numbers),” Brugler wrote in his draft guide. “A former top high school recruit, he spent two years at Oregon before transferring to Knoxville, where he was a low-volume target but a big-play ignitor (led the FBS with 25.4 yards per catch in 2024).”
Brugler added: “His deep acceleration can make him a decoy and help open the underneath passing game, but his incomplete route tree currently limits what he can do. Overall, Thornton lacks versatility, but his gliding speed and ability to find another gear downfield could make him a big-play threat in a specified vertical role.”
The Raiders coaching staff knows Thornton will be a developmental project. While he flashed explosive potential in college, his reps were limited and his route tree remains a work in progress. That said, his physical tools—elite straight-line speed, long strides, and field-stretching ability—give Las Vegas something to work with.
If he can expand his route running and earn trust in camp, Thornton could go from fourth-round flier to opening-day contributor in a hurry.