The Las Vegas Raiders entered the 2025 draft with a huge need at the wide receiver position, and the team addressed it by adding two — and quite possibly three — wide receivers, one of which was Tennessee product Dont’e Thornton, who was drafted in the fourth round.
The Raiders also selected TCU product Jack Bech in the second round, and former Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott, who was taken in the sixth, is also considered someone who could move to wide receiver at the next level.
While the expectation is that Bech is going to see significant snaps and possibly a starting role this season, Thornton is more likely to serve as a depth piece in his first year thanks to having Bech, Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker ahead of him.
But Chad Reuter of NFL.com sees things differently. He believes there’s at least a chance that Thornton could earn a starting role in 2025.
“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 explained. “He’ll need to show he can execute more than just a 9 route to be a starter, but the potential is there.”
It’s definitely not crazy to think Thornton could pull that off. After all, Tucker isn’t exactly a locked-in starter, even with him coming off his best season as a pro. And, there’s also no guarantee that Bech will be ready for a big role in Year 1, so that’s another avenue.
Thornton is an intriguing prospect we can’t wait to watch. He sports a massive 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame, but he also boasts elite speed that makes him a deep threat as well as a solid red-zone target.
During his time with the Seattle Seahawks, Smith proved to be one of the better deep ball passers in the league, so the Raiders are going to try and push the ball down the field, where Thornton excels.
The Raiders have a pretty wide-open situation at wide receiver going into 2025, so we wouldn’t rule anyone out for a starting job, Thornton included.
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