Yahoo Sports NFL on Dont'e Thornton

ArticleThe Year 2 bar for Raiders wide receiver Don’te Thornton Jr.
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For Dont'e Thornton Jr. — the Tennessee wide receiver the Silver & Black took in the fourth round (108th overall) in last year's draft — the bar is not only lower, but is more distinct compared to his 2025 draft classmates: Make the team.
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Thornton's Year 2 bar is making the roster after minimal rookie impact despite elite traits.

The source notes that Thornton's Year 2 bar is simply to make the team—a lower and more distinct bar than his 2025 draft classmates—after minimal impact his rookie season despite being a freakishly tall (6-foot-5, 205 pounds) and fast (4.30-second 40-yard dash) prospect. The source attributes this to his confidence dipping severely as the 2025 season progressed, and even when he garnered substantial snaps in Weeks 2, 7, and 16, he was targeted 11 times and hauled in just three passes for 32 yards with zero touchdowns.

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