Former Tennessee wide receiver Dont'e Thornton has officially signed a rookie contract with the Las Vegas Raiders after being their fourth-round draft pick.
Thornton was taken with the 108th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, becoming yet another Volunteer to be drafted into the NFL.
He detailed how difficult it was during the pre-draft process to prove to NFL general managers and head coaches that he was worth spending a draft pick on this year.
One thing Thornton didn't have the opportunity to show off at Tennessee was his route-running ability. Tennessee's offensive system opens the door to easy, explosive plays but doesn't offer some of the pro-style concepts and route running that NFL teams like to use.
"That was mostly every team's main talking point was asking with the offense that we run here at Tennessee if I'm able to run those pro-style routes...I had to be very intentional, playing two seasons here at Tennessee, we don't have the same wide route tree that most pro-style offenses have," said Thornton.
Thornton's rookie contract is a four-year deal worth $5.2 million with a signing bonus of $1,050,896. The contract looks to be team-friendly, with money backloaded into it, forcing Thornton to prove he is worth keeping around before making seven figures.
He finished his senior season on Rocky Top with 26 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns, ending his career with 1,426 receiving yards and ten touchdowns.
Thornton will have the opportunity to be a downfield threat for the Raiders as early as this year. If he can soak in the pro-style offense and route-running needs, he could quickly become a top receiver for the Raiders.