Raiders Rookie Continues to Shine

The Las Vegas Raiders will be going with a young wide receiving core this season. There is one rookie who has gotten better and will be a key player in the offense.

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll looks on against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll has made it clear that the team is not going to shy away from playing their young, talented players this season. The Raiders roster for 2025 is going to be filled with a lot of young talent that is looking to have a good role for this team. They have been working all offseason long to get better, and it has shown on the field both in the preseason games and in training camp.

One area of this team that the Raiders are going to rely on the young talent in is the wide receiving group. That room is young, and they are ready to get on the field and make a lot of noise this season. The Silver and Black took some wide receivers in the 2025 NFL Draft that they believe in that will do good for them this season and in the future. They are high on them, and they are looking to start building a good group beyond this season.

Rookie wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. has been in the middle of that receiving core all offseason long. He has surprised a lot of people this offseason. He has taken a huge step up from when the Raiders drafted him. Thornton is likely to be a starting receiver this offseason for 2025. He has gotten to work from day one. Thornton has had a good training camp, and in the final preseason game, he scored a touchdown, and it was a great performance.

Dont'e Thornton Continues to Get Better

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) warms up before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Thornton and veteran quarterback Geno Smith have been working a lot together to find that chemistry that is going to be important for the team.

Our Hondo Carpenter talked about Thornton on a recent episode of the "Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast."

"I thought Dont'e Thornton all week in practice, the Raiders worked on Geno to Dont'e," said Carpenter. "Geno gave him a perfect pass in the endzone, over the shoulder, makes a play on it, gets his feet in. It was just a great play by Dont'e. I write about his struggles in the joint practice against the 49ers, there was none of that in Arizona."

Thornton is going to take this momentum into the regular season and continue to build. This is a good sign for the Raiders.

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