The Raiders spent two draft picks on wide receivers in the 2025 draft and throughout most of OTAs and training camp, it has been fourth-round wideout Dont’e Thornton that’s been getting the most attention from a media standpoint.
“Thornton is a developing wideout who displayed big-play ability last season at Tennessee,” league insider Tony Pauline wrote in June. “He’s tall, sure-handed and fast, timing 4.30 during combine workouts and playing to that speed on the field. His upside is incredible, and two years from now, people will wonder why he slid into Day 3.”
Former TCU wide receiver Jack Bech was drafted in the second round, but it has been Thornton that’s been getting the first-team reps and Bech has primarily been with the second team.
Bech has been asked to be the more versatile receiver in Chip Kelly’s offense and according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vinny Bonsignore, it looks like Bech is buried a little behind veteran wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.
“It feels like as we sit here today, Dont’e Thornton is going to get a little bit more playing time than Jack Bech,” Bonsignore said on the Vegas Nation First and 10 podcast.
“That’s not to say that Jack is far behind or didn’t play well because when given opportunities, he looked fine. He’s just playing behind Jacobi Meyers where I think there’s more of a defined role this year for Dont’e Thornton because he does something different than every other wide receiver and brings something different than every wide receiver on this team.”
What’s interesting about Bonsignore’s comments is they sound a little contrary to what head coach Pete Carroll was saying a week ago.
Based on Carroll’s comments, it sounded like the arrival of Amari Cooper might have an impact on Thornton’s playing time.
“We thought a chance to add a guy like [Cooper], with experience, really to help our young guys, might really suit us well,” Carroll told members of the media on Thursday.
“And so, for Dont’e [Thornton] on the outside, they’ll be doing a lot of the same stuff. I think Amari’s way can affect him and help him come along. There’s a lot of pressure for him to be the only X over there that we’re kind of going with, so I think this really balances us out well. And I hope it really suits Jack [Bech] and Dont’e.”
As for the aforementioned Meyers, who Josh Jacobs once called the most underrated player in the NFL, it doesn’t sound like he is a candidate to be traded unless the Raiders’ season is floundering at the trade deadline.
In a hypothetical scenario where the Raiders might choose to trade Meyers, Bonsignore said last week that he wouldn’t expect the Raiders to take any less than a third-round pick for the veteran wideout.
“It’ll be a third-round pick for him,” Bonsignore said on the Vegas Nation First and 10 podcast.
“I don’t think the Raiders are going to trade him for anything less because… if you let him walk, you’re probably going to get a third or fourth round pick as compensation.”
Bonsignore was referring to the formula the NFL uses for compensatory picks, and the Raiders should be in line for mid-round compensatory pick if Meyers leaves in free agency after the season.
In other words, the Raiders are going to get a third or fourth round pick for Meyers whether they trade him or not – and that means the only reason they would potentially take less is if they are looking to avoid paying him for the second half of the 2025 season
x: @raidersbeat