Dont'e Thornton Jr.
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Dont'e Thornton Jr. runs a drill during mandatory minicamp on June 10, 2025.
It’s no secret that Las Vegas Raiders rookie wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. has been impressive throughout the 2025 offseason leading up to his first season in the Silver and Black.
From working with the first team offense during drills to making fans laugh at media day, Thornton has checked all the boxes of a future star and fan favorite in Las Vegas.
This Just In…@Raiders rookie Dont’a Thornton, the 6-5 WR with the 4.3 40 who has been all the talk at OTAs, will NOT be playing hoops on the full court @CrosbyMaxx house.
“I won’t be there,” @IamDTJ11 said with a smile. “I’m not good at basketball. I can dunk and that’s it.” pic.twitter.com/wpAFWOZd7X
— HouseRules (@houserules789) June 9, 2025
On Tuesday June 10, 2025, Raiders insider Levi Edwards had incredibly high praise for Thornton’s performance to this point.
Perfect placement for Geno Smith, finding Dont’e Thornton for a touchdown with two defensive backs draped over him.
This offseason, Thornton has been one of, if not the most impressive rookie for the #Raiders
— Levi Edwards (@theleviedwards) June 10, 2025
“This offseason, Thornton has been one of, if not the most impressive rookie for the Raiders,” Edwards wrote on X.
But the praise doesn’t stop there. One X user raised the bar for the potential for Thornton Jr.’s raw talent — not just to be a good wide receiver, but one of the best ever.
Thornton Compared to Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss
X user @raiders1022 put Dont’e Thortnon Jr. in a rare class for his combination of power and speed.
“3 players in NFL history to be 6’5” and run a 4.3 [40-yard dash]: Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, Donte Thornton Jr. End of list,” he wrote.
The list wasn’t entirely accurate, as other users were quick to point out former Jacksonville Jaguar Matt Jones and current Seattle Seahawks rookie Tyrone Broden as two players who matched that combination of size and speed. There were also doubts if Moss was actually 6 feet 5 inches tall; most sites including Football Reference list him as 6 feet 4 inches.
Nonetheless, that combination of size and speed is quite rare, and the receivers who possess it can often turn out to be some of the greatest of all time. It remains to be seen what kind of career Broden will have and Jones didn’t pan out, but he made the switch from playing quarterback in college to receiver in the NFL which is a very difficult switch to make so quickly.
Moss and Johnson are as good of players to aspire to be as anybody. They are both hall of farmers with several all-pro selections under their belts. Moss has the fourth-most receiving yards of all time and Johnson, who retired in the midst of his prime, is considered one of the most dominant receivers to ever play the game.
While it is clear that Thornton Jr. possesses some of the most tantalizing natural talent in the entire NFL, there is no such thing as a sure thing in professional sports and Thornton Jr. will need to be developed well to succeed.
Can The Raiders Unlock Thornton Jr.’s Potential?
So if Thornton Jr. possesses all of these unteachable advantages, why did he fall to the fourth round of the NFL draft, where the Raiders selected him at 108th overall?
In short, Thornton Jr. has yet to produce consistently or with any kind of volume.
Thornton has 65 receptions in the entirety of his collegiate career. For context, 34 players eclipsed that total in the FBS just during the 2024 season.
Even during his best season in 2024, Thornton Jr only hauled in 26 catches. He did, however, lead the entire FBS in yards per reception with 25.4 and got into the end zone 6 times.
Neither Tennessee, where Thornton Jr. played for his last two seasons, nor Oregon, where he played for his first two, seemed able to unlock Thornton Jr.’s full potential.
So the true question is, will the Raiders be able to do it?