Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Dont'e Thornton makes an interesting comparison that fans will fall in love with
When the Las Vegas Raiders opted to take Dont'e Thornton Jr. in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, not many fans initially knew what they would be getting. If you listen to the "big-wig" draft analysts when they tell what type of player they think Thornton is, you will hear nothing but "deep […]
When the Las Vegas Raiders opted to take Dont'e Thornton Jr. in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, not many fans initially knew what they would be getting. If you listen to the "big-wig" draft analysts when they tell what type of player they think Thornton is, you will hear nothing but "deep threat."
But that couldn't be further from the truth. We have heard Thornton Jr. himself say that the narrative is false, and if you watch his Oregon tape and not just his Tennessee tape, it's all about what he's being asked to do in each offense. Simply put, he can do it all. Does he need some work? Of course, but he's not a bad route runner.
When you look at his game and his body style, archetype, and all of that stuff, it's hard not to think about a guy like D.K. Metcalf on the Pittsburgh Steelers. But to Thornton Jr., he likes to compare himself to a few others who are held to a much higher standard — all-time greats, if you will.
"I model my game after Calvin Johnson [Former Detroit Lions WR] and Julio Jones [Former Atlanta Falcons WR], and then more lately I've been watching a lot of Nico Collins [Houston Texans WR] I try to imitate a lot of things that he shows," Thornton told reporters after he was drafted.
"And then just looking at the group of guys that I'm going to be joining, I'm very excited. I feel like we have the potential to be a very explosive offense and overall team in general, so I'm definitely excited."
Now, obviously, no one is expecting him to turn into those players. He's a fourth-round pick, and if turning into those players was a guarantee, he would have gone first overall. But that doesn't mean he can't end up having a better career or even be a better player than those guys when his playing days are over. He certainly has the physical ability to get there, everything else has to come to him.
The Nico Collins one, though, is certainly interesting. Collins was drafted in the third round, Thornton in the fourth, and both guys are known for their size, physical ability, and speed. The comp pretty much checks out. However, Collins, after his third season, was considered a top-five WR in the league. Last year, he didn't have a great year statistically because he missed some games due to injury, but the tape still matches up.
His first two years started slow as he developed his game. But now he is on a different level. I could see that being the case for Thornton — develops his first few seasons and really has a breakout year before his contract season. And, that would be huge for the Raiders, considering they got him early on Day 3.
Las Vegas Raiders rookie is trying to tell the world why one perception of him is completely wrong
The Raiders will need him to prove it.
