The Las Vegas Raiders drafted two wide receivers in the 2025 NFL draft in Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton, and the latter has been receiving some serious hype recently.
Thornton was drafted in the fourth round, two rounds later than Bech. He brings an intriguing skill set to Las Vegas, as he's a burner who also happens to be 6-foot-4.
The Tennessee product really put himself on the map at the NFL combine, when he ran a 4.30 40-yard dash, which was second to only Green Bay Packers wideout, Matthew Golden, who was taken in the first round in April.
According to Tashan Reed of The Athletic on the Just Win Podcast, Thornton has managed to stand out at every practice Reed has attended thus far.
“Dont’e Thornton has kind of jumped out the most amongst the rookie receivers so far. Part of that is just… he has a unique build… just under six foot five, but he’s muscular and ran a four-three flat,” Reed said.
“I’ve only been to three practices so far, but every practice I’ve been out there, you’ve seen him make kind of those splash plays,” he added. “Whether it’s a go ball or a post or kind of those deep routes. With speed and size, he’s able to get open and then come down with those jump balls."
While he has been impressed with Thornton, Reed did note that the Tennessee product needs work on his route-running.
"I think really the next step for him is getting more nuanced in his route running, particularly playing at Tennessee [in college]. They kind of run a kiddie offense a little bit, and it’s pretty basic,” Reed explained. “In the NFL you can’t get by with only two or three routes in your arsenal, so if he’s going to be a guy that’s a starting caliber receiver. He’s going to have to step up in that area and I think the coaching staff has been impressed by him so far… I think he’s really come on strong.”
This echoes what Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby said. The four-time Pro Bowler has also been impressed with Thornton.
"Dont'e Thornton, the dude we drafted from Tennessee, the big receiver," Crosby said. "6-foot-4, another freak, I think he might be 6-foot-5. Runs a 4.30 (in the 40-yard dash).
"He reminds me of (NFL wide receiver) Martavis Bryant. He even looks like him. He's tall, skinny, wears No. 10. He's got got the grills in, he's got the dreads. The way he runs, the way he catches the ball. He just reminds me of Martavis," he added.
"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."
Meanwhile, Reed didn't sound as excited about Bech, who he characterized as a "tweener" that is "trying to find his way."
“I think Jack Bech is trying to find his way,” Reed stated. “He’s sort of a ‘tweener player’ where throughout his college career, he played both inside and outside and I think they’re trying to figure out where is he best, you know… and he kind of has a similar skill set to Jacobi Meyers in that way, I think.”
Reed did, however, heap praise on Bech earlier this month when he noted how the TCU product was "consistently open" at practice.
Nevertheless, it's pretty clear that Thornton is turning heads more than Bech is early on. We'll see if he can continue doing so en route to possibly landing a starting job in his first season in the NFL.