Jun 11, 2025; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. (10) runs through a drill during Las Vegas Raiders Minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images
_Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly had some high praise for former Tennessee Vol Dont'e Thornton._
The Tennessee Volunteers had a handful of players selected in the 2025 NFL draft and one of them was wide receiver Dont'e Thornton. The Las Vegas Raiders selected Thornton win the fourth round and it seems like things are off to a great start for the former Volunteer.
Thornton has a unique player profile. He stands at 6-foot-5 and was one of the fastest wide receivers at the NFL combine this year. It's why offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is so excited about the rookie.
“I think Dont’e is unique in terms of he’s just a hair under 6-5 and he ran 4.3,” Kelly said, via Raiders.com. “And I think if you had a draw up an outside receiver, you would pick that type of body type, someone that’s got length, someone that’s got a huge catch radius, but also has speed. Sometimes you can get a big guy like that, but he can’t really run, so they can stay with him. So, you add that speed element to him, his ability to sink his hips, his ability to get in and out of cuts.”
In his two years at Tennessee after transferring from Oregon, Thornton racked up 885 receiving yards, seven touchdowns and 39 receptions.
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