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        Dont'e Thornton On Track For Starting Job?

        By Jared Smola | Updated on Mon, Jun 23 2025 2:05 AM UTC
        Dont'e Thornton Jr. Headshot

        Raiders WR Dont'e Thornton regularly ran with the first-team offense this spring. The Athletic's Tashan Reed lists Thornton as a starter in his 53-man roster projection, alongside Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker.

        2025 Fantasy Football Impact

        It's only June, so we're not overreacting to camp reps or roster projections. But it's notable when a fourth-round rookie is already getting first-team reps in OTAs.

        Vegas' primary first-team offense this spring, per multiple reports, had Thornton and Tucker lining up on the outside, with Meyers in the slot. Second-round rookie WR Jack Bech took most of his reps as the second-team slot receiver.

        There's still plenty of time for Bech to work his way into the first-team rotation ahead of Week 1. But he's no better than a late-round flier in redraft leagues right now.

        Thornton, meanwhile, is worth a look at the end of drafts. The 6’5, 205-pounder averaged 25.4 yards per catch last year and blazed a 4.30-second 40 time at the Combine. That profile works especially well in best-ball leagues.

        What They're Saying

        OC Chip Kelly on Thornton: "I think Dont'e is unique in terms of he's just a hair under 6-5 and he ran 4.3. There's not a lot of humans on this planet that do that. 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."

        Jared Smola Author Image
        Jared Smola, Lead Analyst
        Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks sixth among 158 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.
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