Las Vegas Raiders send clear message about former Tennessee Vols WR Dont’e Thornton before preseason opener
The Las Vegas Raiders sent a clear message about former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Dont’e Thornton ahead of the team’s preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks. Thornton, who was selected by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, has had a solid offseason with Las Vegas. The former Vol has earned […]
The Las Vegas Raiders sent a clear message about former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Dont’e Thornton ahead of the team’s preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
Thornton, who was selected by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, has had a solid offseason with Las Vegas.
The former Vol has earned praised from seemingly everyone in the Raiders’ organization, from head coach Pete Carroll to superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby.
“Dont’e Thornton, the dude we drafted from Tennessee, the big receiver,” said Crosby while discussing rookies that have impressed him earlier this offseason. “6-foot-4, another freak, I think he might be 6-foot-5. Runs a 4.30 (in the 40-yard dash)….It’s crazy because a kid like that, he had success in college, but he hasn’t hit his full potential yet. Seeing him on the field and realizing what he can be, from a player perspective, is like holy s–t, this dude could be something serious.”
As a result of his terrific showing so far in OTAs and training camp, Thornton was listed as a starter on the Raiders’ first “unofficial” depth chart of the year.
There’s still a long way to go in training camp, so it’s not like Thornton is “locked in” as a starter. But the Raiders don’t have a lot of depth at wide receiver, so it seems likely that Thornton will be a first teamer for Las Vegas as a rookie this fall (as long as he stays healthy).
There were a lot of questions about Thornton’s route running ability coming out of Tennessee. It didn’t take the former Vol long to quiet those concerns.
Tennessee Volunteers News
‘I will kick your ass for the next 15 years’ – Peyton Manning once gave an NFL GM a legendary warning
Tennessee Vols legend Peyton Manning was a bit miffed after he traveled to New York in 1997 just to finish as the runner-up to Michigan’s Charles Woodson for the Heisman Trophy. It wasn’t that Peyton thought Woodson was undeserving of the award — it was that dealing with the cameras and the media, only to […]
