Thornton was not targeted in Monday's 33-16 loss to the Cowboys.
Thornton logged 38 percent of the Raiders' offensive snaps behind fellow receivers Tre Tucker and Tyler Lockett on Monday, but quarterback Geno Smith didn't look Thornton's way. Meanwhile, fellow rookie Jack Bech hauled in his lone target for 19 yards before returning to a reserve role. Through nine games played this season, Thornton owns a disappointing 6-98-0 receiving line.
... See More... See Less
Raiders' Dont'e Thornton: Manages one reception on TNF
Rotowire
Thornton caught one of two targets for four yards in Thursday's 10-7 loss to the Broncos.
Thornton, who was deemed a healthy scratch in Week 9, returned to the lineup Thursday after fellow receiver Jakobi Meyers was shipped to Jacksonville ahead of the trade deadline. However, Thornton made several key mistakes in the prime time contest, including an offensive pass interference penalty on a would-be Tre Tucker touchdown, followed by a drop on an accurate deep ball down the right sideline. Nonetheless, Thornton logged 37 offensive snaps to Jack Bech's 14, and a much more promising matchup against the Cowboys awaits on Monday Night Football in Week 11.
... See More... See Less
Raiders' Dont'e Thornton: Will be active Thursday
Rotowire
Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday that Thornton will be active for Thursday's road matchup against the Broncos, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.
Thornton was a healthy scratch Week 9, but he now rejoins Raiders' the wide receiver rotation following the team's decision to trade Jakobi Meyers to Jacksonville. The rookie fourth-round pick hasn't logged a catch across his last four regular-season appearances despite having drawn seven targets in that span. Across seven career games, Thornton has secured five of 19 targets for 94 yards.
... See More... See Less
Raiders' Dont'e Thornton: Inactive Sunday
Rotowire
Thornton is inactive for Sunday's game against the Jaguars.
With Thornton the odd man out in Week 9, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Jack Bech, Tyler Lockett and Alex Bachman will handle the Raiders WR duties versus Jacksonville. Through seven games to date, Thornton has caught five of his 19 targets for 94 yards.
... See More... See Less
Raiders' Dont'e Thornton: Fills in for Meyers
Rotowire
Thornton was unable to haul in any of his three targets in Sunday's 31-0 loss to the Chiefs.
Thornton actually had a pair of would-be first down receptions wiped out by penalties, but he ended the contest with a zero in the box score because of the flags. Nonetheless, his playing time surged with Jakobi Meyers (knee) and Brock Bowers (knee) sidelined, as Thornton logged 86 percent of the Raiders' offensive snaps. Meyers is tracking to return after the Week 8 bye, so Thornton figures to continue competing with Jack Bech for the WR3 role.
... See More... See Less
Raiders' Dont'e Thornton: Logs two offensive snaps in win
Rotowire
Thornton was not targeted in Sunday's 20-10 win over the Titans.
Thornton played just two offensive snaps in the Raiders' comfortable win, while fellow rookie Jack Bech remained in the WR3 role behind Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker. Thornton has gone three consecutive games without a reception, becoming an even tougher stash on deep fantasy benches with Las Vegas' bye approaching after a Week 7 contest in Kansas City.
... See More... See Less
Raiders' Dont'e Thornton: First game without a reception
Rotowire
Thornton was unable to haul in either of his two targets in Sunday's 25-24 loss to the Bears.
Thornton posted a zero in the fantasy scoring column, while quarterback Geno Smith struggled to get much of anything going through the air, completing 14 of 21 pass attempts for just 117 yards. On a more positive note for Thornton, he continues to retain the WR3 role behind Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker, with fellow rookie Jack Bech logging only five offensive snaps Sunday.
... See More... See Less
Raiders' Dont'e Thornton: Four targets in Sunday's loss
Rotowire
Thornton caught two of four targets for 29 yards in Sunday's 41-24 loss to the Commanders.
Thornton matched Jakobi Meyers' four targets, but fellow wideout Tre Tucker erupted for an 8-145-3 receiving line on nine looks from quarterback Geno Smith, who produced 289 passing yards on just 19 completions in the Raiders' defeat. Thornton has been targeted exactly four times in each of Las Vegas' first three games, and he remains ahead of fellow rookie Jack Bech in the WR3 role with a Week 4 tilt against the Bears looming.
... See More... See Less
Raiders' Dont'e Thornton: Records one catch against Chargers
Rotowire
Thornton caught one of four targets for 20 yards in Monday's 20-9 loss to the Chargers.
Thornton continued to operate as the Raiders No. 3 wide receiver Monday while playing 57 of the Raiders' 70 offensive snaps behind both Jakobi Meyers (65) and Tre Tucker (64). The rookie wideout saw four targets for the second straight week, so it appears that Las Vegas is intent on getting him the ball as a dynamic playmaker. With that said, Thornton likely faces a tough path to consistent fantasy production in an offense still trying to find its footing early in the season. Nonetheless, the 22-year-old will look to have more of an impact in Week 3 when the Raiders visit the Commanders.
... See More... See Less
Raiders' Dont'e Thornton: Four targets in debut
Rotowire
Thornton caught two of four targets for 45 yards in Sunday's 20-13 win over the Patriots.
As expected, Thornton played ahead of fellow rookie Jack Bech in the WR3 role behind Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker, with Thornton even producing a timely 36-yard reception when the Raiders were facing a crucial third-and-20 from their own 25-yard line late in the fourth quarter. Thornton ultimately played 38 of a possible 63 offensive snaps in his NFL debut, but his involvement could increase against the Chargers in Week 2 if All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers (knee) is sidelined.
... See More... See Less
Raiders' Dont'e Thornton: Working with starters
Rotowire
Thornton was working with the Raiders' starters during Monday's mandatory minicamp practice, Jonathan Williams of Sports Illustrated reports.
Thornton was selected in the fourth round of the 2025 draft after catching 26 passes for 661 yards and six touchdowns during his final year at Tennessee, and he already appears to be carving out a role for himself in Las Vegas' offense. As the team currently lacks proven talent at the position behind Jakobi Meyers, Thornton could end up serving as one of the team's top wideouts early on in his rookie season.
... See More... See Less
Raiders' Dont'e Thornton: Adds speed to Vegas' receiving corps
Rotowire
The Raiders selected Thornton in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 108th overall.
Thornton had modest collegiate production, though he did average 25.4 yards per catch with six touchdowns in his final year with Tennessee. The Raiders likely drafted him with a similar role in mind, as he'll be able to use his 4.30 40-yard dash speed to threaten defenses vertically, in turn opening space underneath for the likes of Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers. That may not mean a lot of production immediately for Thornton, but targets after Bowers and Meyers are up for grabs in the Raiders' wide receiver corps.
