Former Tennessee wide receiver Dont’e Thornton was one of the pleasant surprises of OTAs and there seems to be a lot of optimism around the Raiders’ young speedster going into the summer months.
Not a lot was reported on how the Raiders were using Thornton in practices, but based on what The Athletic’s Tashan Reed said this week, it sounds like Thornton was getting more first-team reps in OTAs than second-round pick Jack Bech.
Additionally, it sounds like Bech’s role might be a lot different than Thornton’s.
“[Thornton has] been ahead of Jack Bech so far,” Reed said on the Just Win podcast.
“He has spent more time running with the ones, just from the practice that they let us see. Obviously, we haven’t seen every single one, but it’s been him and Tre Tucker on the outside, and Jakobi Meyers has been working pretty much as a slot receiver almost exclusively to this point… Bech has largely been working with the second team offense.”
It’s also interesting to hear how Meyers has been lining up in practices.
Last year, Meyers only lined up in the slot for 34.1 percent of snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. This year, it sounds like he’s being used almost exclusively in the slot (based on a relatively small sample size of OTA sessions).
Earlier in the week, Thornton talked about Bech’s role in Chip Kelly’s offense and seemed to hint that the coaching staff has been moving the TCU star around in formations.
From a segment with podcast host Graphk Raider on Saturday night…
“Since we got here, me and [Bech] have been locked in from the moment we got in to Vegas. We always go out there and try to encourage each other to keep going and have a good day, constantly on top of each other to be productive,” Thornton said on the OLV Raiders Network. “I feel like he’s definitely doing a great job of that with him being moved around a lot, he’s taken it on and not really having too much problems with it.”
Thornton didn’t clarify what he meant by Bech being “moved around a lot” but it sounds like the former TCU star is going to be all over the formation when he’s on the field in 2025.
As for Thornton, he’s apparently been better than anyone on the outside was expecting.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vinny Bonsignore, Thornton has shown himself to be more polished in practice than what he showed in college.
“Thornton was still thought to need plenty of polish to become a productive pro receiver. His college offense wasn’t too sophisticated. At OTAs, however, his footwork at the line of scrimmage appeared more advanced than advertised and his route running looked crisp. He could be further along than suspected,” Bonsignore reported at the start of the week.
“Thornton is also taking reps as a kick returner for the Raiders. His speed and athletic ability could make him a huge factor on special teams.”
The last comment on Thronton that stood out this week came from Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter…
“I’m going to tell you right now, I think if the season started today, your three starters, your three starting wide receivers [would be] Jakobi [Meyers], Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.
“Now, the season isn’t start today. Training camp is going to have a lot to tell us. But I’m telling you, Dont’e Thornton looks the part, and you can tell by what drills they’re running with him and who he’s running with, that they’re big buyers on him.”
x: @raidersbeat
I’ve heard they’re using Bech as the 3rd TE in 13 formations, sounds legit