Dont’e Thornton Jr 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Dont’e Thornton Jr 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Dont’e Thornton Jr is very much a wildcard in this wide receiver class, but he’s also impossible not to be intrigued by. This is going to be a fun one to talk about so let’s just jump right into this. Here is your 2025 NFL Draft profile on the Tennessee wide receiver!

NFL Draft Stock Report: Week 14

Thornton, 22, was a four star recruit out of the state of Maryland during the 2021 cycle. The Baltimore native was ranked as the 11th best wide receiver prospect in the country and signed with Oregon to start his collegiate career. He spent two years at Oregon and finished up with two years with the Volunteers.

The production itself is… let’s call it unique. The yards per catch numbers are out of control. The actual catch numbers are few and far between. Thornton wasn’t much of a factor at Oregon, reeling in just 26 total receptions in two years. During that time, he also averaged a whooping 20.8 yards per catch.

The same thing happened at Tennessee except at a slightly higher level. In two years with Tennessee, Thornton notched 39 total receptions, but it was at an outrageous 22.7 yards per catch. The only difference is, Thornton found the end zone six times this past year.

I was planning on using this line anyway, but I’ll give credit to Chickster because he said it first. Not that we’re making this about fantasy football, but what Thornton is best exemplified as is as a best ball merchant. Some weeks, he may as well be in witness protection. Other weeks, he will do his best Will Fuller impression and catch two bombs for scores. Having a legit deep threat on your side who can create splash plays isn’t the worst thing in the world.

If you want to watch peak Thornton, just turn on the game against Vanderbilt. It’s right there at the top in the stock notes for your viewing pleasure / and or you can watch this highlight package from the game itself. When Thornton is on, this is pretty much what you’re getting.

By the way, I just think there might be some hidden potential here. Are we sure this guy is done getting better? I genuinely thought he looked fantastic at the Combine in the pure movement skills department. Actually ran better routes than I thought he would. We’re talking about a guy who checks in at 6-foot-5, 205, while running a 4.30. That’s insane anyway you slice it. Based on that time, I’m surprised more people weren’t freaking out about it but I guess Thornton lost out on the draft politics for whatever reason.

The guy has one route. He’s going deep every single time and that’s the end of the story. The good news is he actually has good play strength and can win those contested catches on the rare occasion someone can actually run with him. Either way, defenses have to account for him and that’s valuable in its own right. Just one of those things where smart teams that can run the ball and force defenses to stack the box will get the most out of this player.

James Pearce Jr 2025 NFL Draft

I have a middle round grade on Dont’e Thornton for all the reasons I mentioned. This wide receiver class is stinky but you can’t deny Thornton has elite traits that can make him one of the ten best pass catchers in this draft. He’s not perfect but if you use this guy correctly, he can make a big impact with splash plays for your football team.

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