A pair of recent late-round draft picks could work their way into the Raiders starting lineup. Tashan Reed of The Athletic predicts that fourth-round rookie wideout Dont’e Thornton Jr. will be a starter, and the writer recently noted that former seventh-round offensive lineman Thayer Munford could be an option at left guard for Las Vegas.
Thornton had a breakout campaign during his second and final season at Tennessee, finishing with 26 receptions for 661 yards and six scores. That performance helped make him the 108th-overall pick in this year’s draft, and there’s a good chance he’ll have an opportunity to immediately earn starting reps for his new squad.
Reed notes that the receiver handled the majority of the first-team reps on the outside during OTAs, while Levi Edwards of the team’s website notes that the rookie has already become a top target of Geno Smith. Following the departure of Davante Adams last season, the Raiders struggled to find a third receiving option next to Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker. The new front office notably invested plenty of draft assets into the position, but interestingly, it’s not their highest WR selection who’s been stealing headlines.
The Raiders selected TCU’s Jack Bech in the second round (58th overall), and they later used a sixth-round selection on Montana State’s Tommy Mellott. The team was clearly counting on one of their draft picks to step up in 2025, and for the time being, that appears to be 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,” said new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly (via Edwards). “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.”
Elsewhere on offense, Munford has been getting some run with the first-team offense. With Alex Cappa inking a free agent deal to play right guard, there will likely be an open competition for LG snaps. While ESPN’s Ryan McFadden believes this competition will ultimately come down to Dylan Parham and Jordan Meredith, it sounds like Munford is firmly in the mix.
The 2022 seventh-round pick has seen an inconsistent role in three seasons in Las Vegas, starting 18 of his 46 games while primarily playing offensive tackle. When Parham didn’t practice during some of the team’s OTA sessions, it was Munford who spent time as the starting left guard (per Reed). This may have simply been to get a longer look at an OL combination, but it’s still notable that Munford was operating ahead of Meredith, who got eight starts for the Raiders in 2025.
With a new regime running the show, Munford should have a fresh opportunity to show what he’s got. Considering his versatility, the fourth-year player can at least rest easy knowing he’s currently in the driver’s seat for a roster spot.