Every year, there seems to be a rookie wide receiver who comes out of nowhere and steals the show. This year is no different, and I am going all in on Raiders rookie wide receiver Dont’e Thornton. The monstrous wideout stands 6-5 and runs a 4.3 40-yard dash. He has the measurables of another wide receiver we are familiar with: Detroit Lions great Calvin Johnson.
Below, we will look at who Dont’e Thornton is and why you must consider stashing him on your fantasy football roster in dynasty leagues for 2025 and beyond.
Why You Need Dont’e Thornton
Who Is Dont’e Thornton?
Dont’e Thornton is from Baltimore, Maryland, and played high school ball at Mount Saint Joseph High School. Thornton was a two-sport athlete, playing football and running track and field. He was a highly regarded four-star recruit coming out of high school and ranked as the top receiver in Maryland. Thornton finished his high school stats with 1,881 receiving yards and 26 total touchdowns from 2018 to 2019. In 2021, Dont’e Thornton was selected to play in the All-American Bowl and earned All-Metro, All-State, and All-Conference honors twice throughout high school.
Thornton received college offers from Georgia and Texas but ultimately committed to the University of Oregon in 2020. After spending two seasons in Oregon, Thornton wanted to transfer to the University of Tennessee to help expand his ability and, hopefully, take his talents to the next level and play in the NFL. In 2023, the former Maryland star only played in nine games due to being injured, but in 2024, Thornton led the team in receiving yards with 661 and touchdowns with six.
Thornton was invited to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl following his senior year. In 2024, Thornton led the FBS with 25.4 yards per reception. He finished the season with 661 receiving yards and tacked on six touchdowns. Not only did he lead the FBS in yards per reception, but Thornton was also tied for the most 50-plus yard receptions in FBS with six, and recorded three 100-yard receiving games.
In 2025, Dont’e Thornton was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the fourth round (108th overall) and had an impressive combine that flashed his size and speed. He became the tallest player to run a sub-4.3 since 2003 and earned a relative athletic score of 9.85, which ranked him 59th among 3,816 wide receivers.
The Path to Ascend to the Top
The Las Vegas Raiders’ wide receiver room is not setting the NFL on fire.
- Jakobi Meyers
- Tre Tucker
- Jack Bech
- Dont’e Thornton
There is no absolute alpha wide receiver that has that spot hands down. I know many love Jakobi Meyers, but he is a product of opportunity shares that increased because his target shares, which increased to 25% since week 4, had to go somewhere after the Raiders traded Davante Adams. Meyer is a great possession wide receiver and would be ideal as the Z or slot receiver in Las Vegas. Making Meyers the Z/slot wide out would give Meyers a higher ceiling, as Thornton has the potential and measurable as an X receiver.
As mentioned above, Jakobi Meyers would be ideal for the WR2 possession role, and rookie Jack Bech would be perfect for the slot role going over the middle. You also have a deep threat in Tre Tucker, where he can stretch the field in three-wide receiver sets. As for Thornton, he is too large to ignore as the X receiver on the outside. With his speed and size, he would instantly command the targets and beat out many cornerbacks in the NFL. What also helps Thornton’s case is Geno Smith, who can throw accurate deep balls. In 2022, Smith had a completion percentage 69.8 when throwing the ball 90-plus yards. In 2023, Smith continued to lead the league in big-time throws. Those stats, plus Thornton’s size and speed, make too much sense not to see him eventually take over as one of the top wide receivers and possibly the top receiving option in Las Vegas. Target Shares
Target Volume
Last season, Brock Bowers led all receivers with 153 targets while Jakobi Meyers was second with 129 targets. The Raiders ended the season 4-10 essentially because no quarterback made an impact, and the talent outside Bowers and Meyers was bare. It is challenging to win in the NFL with just a tight end being the main target in your offense. Now, with Dont’e Thornton in the fold, you have a bona fide receiving option that could be the main target in Las Vegas. Who can also take the pressure off Bowers and Meyers, who can extend the field with his speed and size. Again, Geno Smith is very accurate at throwing the deep ball.
The two players, Bowers and Meyers, had 282 targets. Now that they have added playmakers to the offense, Bowers and Meyers will regress in 2025. Tre Tucker had 81 targets in 2024, which should shrink and shift more to Meyers and Bech. The Raiders’ wide receiver targets for 2025 should be as follows:
- Dont’e Thornton
- Jakobi Meyers
- Jack Bech
- Brock Bowers
- Tre Tucker
This depth chart looks appealing, especially regarding Geno’s strengths and Chip Kelly‘s offense. The new Raiders quarterback, Geno Smith, is the highest graded passer of 20-plus yard passes since 2022 with a PFF grade of 99.9. Joining back up with Pete Carroll in Vegas should produce similar numbers. Combine that with Thornton’s speed and size, and instant magic is waiting to happen. Reports have also come out recently that Thornton is spending much time with the ones in camp and playing the X receiver opposite Jakobi Meyers. If early indications are correct and come to fruition, Dont’e Thornton will be a stud in 2025.
2025 Fantasy Prediction
Thornton has a lot of measurable attributes that NFL teams love. For 2025 and fantasy purposes, it will take some time before the Thornton train starts to roll. Eventually, Geno Smith will begin to target him more throughout the year. Again, reports from camp have Thornton running with the ones, which will only help his situation. For the 2025 season, Thornton could finish with 800 receiving yards and five touchdowns with 70 targets. In fantasy terms, that’s a solid return on investment for a wide receiver selected in rounds four and later in dynasty drafts.
