4th-round pick has some high expectations
There has been a lot of juice surrounding Las Vegas Raiders’ fourth-round draft pick, wide receiver Dont’a Thornton since the team selected him.
The team and fans are tantalized by Thornton’s rare combination of side (he’s 6-foot-5) and speed (he runs a 4.3 40). The kid can rip the roof off of a defense as a true Al Davis-type vertical threat.
The Thornton hype train recently gained more steam when well respected ESPN NFL analyst made his part of his annual post-draft tradition. Riddick teams a later-round draft pick from each to who he thinks can become a major impact player within two-or-three years.
Thornton was Riddick’s choice for Las Vegas. Here is his full list:
Time for the 4th annual list of my one favorite non-first round prospect (tried to NOT select obvious 2nd rounders as well) from EACH team in the 2025 draft that could be a significant contributor/starter within the next 2-3 years:
ARZ: Cody Simon – LB – OHST
ATL: Xavier Watts -…— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) May 1, 2025
Time will tell if Thornton can take his game to the next level, but there is certainly a lot of excitement about his potential impact.
In other Raiders’ news:
- Going deep with Jeanty: The Athletic takes a deep dive on what makes first-round pick, running Ashton Jeanty.
- Changes: SB Nation looks at many stars, including Geno Smith, who switched teams this offseason.
- Redraft: Look who PFF has the Raiders taking in this 2007 redraft.