Pro Football Focus says a former Tennessee Vols standout could become a 'fan favorite' at the NFL scouting combine
Pro Football Focus thinks a former Tennessee Vols standout could be one of the top "sleepers to watch" at the NFL scouting combine this week. PFF listed Vols wide receiver Dont'e Thortnon as one of their five sleepers to watch at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. Thornton, who started his career at Oregon before transferring […]
Pro Football Focus thinks a former Tennessee Vols standout could be one of the top "sleepers to watch" at the NFL scouting combine this week.
PFF listed Vols wide receiver Dont'e Thortnon as one of their five sleepers to watch at the scouting combine in Indianapolis.
Thornton, who started his career at Oregon before transferring to Tennessee ahead of the 2023 season, is a 6-foot-5 wide receiver who caught 26 passes for 661 yards and six touchdowns as a senior in 2024.
"He’ll look the part at around 6-foot-5, but he could stand out in the jumps and the 40-yard dash," wrote PFF's Trevor Sikkema of Thornton. "He was a versatile track and field guy in high school, participating in the 100-meter dash, high jump, long jump and triple jump. That size and speed combination could make him a fan-favorite."
From PFF: Thornton felt underutilized in Tennessee’s offense this past season with just 26 receptions. However, those receptions went for 661 yards thanks to a 25.4 yards-per-reception average. His 80.6 receiving grade was the highest of any Volunteer this past season. He’ll look the part at around 6-foot-5, but he could stand out in the jumps and the 40-yard dash. He was a versatile track and field guy in high school, participating in the 100-meter dash, high jump, long jump and triple jump. That size and speed combination could make him a fan-favorite when it comes to the mock draft simulator. He could also be a front-office favorite as well for certain NFL teams. He scored a game athleticism score above 90.0 in each of the last three years.
Thornton was a big play waiting to happen at Tennessee. If he can continue to improve his route running skills while diving into the intricate details of NFL offenses, he could easily make an impact at the next level.
The Baltimore native is expected to test well at the combine, which should lead to his draft stock increasing ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft in April.
Thornton finished his college career with 65 receptions for 1,426 yards and 10 touchdowns.
