Raiders BIG SURPRISE Revealed By ESPN

Raiders BIG SURPRISE Revealed By ESPN

The Raiders first preseason game is up against the Seattle Seahawks. So, you know what? We’re going to battle them the entire month of July because quite frankly, I feel like we’ve been going up against the Seahawks the entire off season with adding Pete Carol trading for Gino Smith and I’m not going to lose the Seahawks today. So, if you want to stay up to date on all things going on around the Raiders, make sure you’re subscribed. And if you know a Seahawks fan or if you’re trying to take down Seahawks today with me, let’s subscribe. Let’s take care of business. [Music] Coming up today here on the Raiders Report, ESPN revealed a big surprise around the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025. A surprise that you probably know about, a surprise that I definitely know about, but it’s one of those surprises that I kind of wish ESPN would have stayed a little hush hush. In a recent article titled 2025 NFL offseason biggest surprise players on each team, ESPN labeled wide receiver Dante Thornton Jr. the Las Vegas Raiders biggest surprise. I know that he was drafted in the fourth round. I know that the Raiders have other players like a Brock Bowers, Jacobe Meyers that have been proven stat getters on this team. I also know that the Raiders also drafted a wide receiver and Jack Bes before Dante Thornton Jr. But I was very impressed by ESPN when they tipped their cap and said, “Watch out for this guy, Dante Thornton Jr.” And this is what he had to say. The fourth round pick made a strong case to be a day one contributor for Las Vegas. Thornton received a good amount of reps with the first team offense, as his combination of size and speed make him a threat in the intermediate and deep passing game. At Tennessee, Thornton was known for the big play ability, leading the nation in yards per catch at 25.4 four yards per catch and catches of 50 plus yards with six. The Raiders didn’t make major moves at wide receiver this off seasonason, meaning Thoron and second round pick Jack B will be asked to step up in a big way in year one. Thoron showed he could be ready to answer the call. I completely agree with what ESPN is saying here around Dante Thornton Jr. because I do think that he’s going to surprise the NFL world and I do think that he’s going to be able to go out there and do a lot of great things for this organization. So, coming up here on today’s show, I’m going to outline why I agree with ESPN and why I do think that Thornton is going to surprise the entire world. And at the very end of today’s show, I’m also going to tell you five other under the radar players that I do think are going to surprise. Let’s go to the first reason why he could surprise. He was working with the ones. And I want people to realize that the Raiders weren’t just like, “All right, Dante, here you go. You can work with the ones.” No, he worked his freaking ass off. And he was better than Jack Bash. He proved that he could be that outside wide receiver. And a lot of the teams, a lot of the the ones that were going out there, when I say teams, first team, second team for the Raiders this off season, that number one team mainly was on the outside, Dante Thornton Jr. and Trey Tucker. Brock Bowers at tight end. You have to take notice of that. Jacobe Meyers in the slot. So, the fact that he’s already working with the starters, that is a big reason. Another big reason, and it’s probably the biggest reason of why I think that this guy could really open up some eyes. Dude’s an athletic freak. I have compared him to Martavis Bryant. And then I also so saw after I compared him to Bryant probably about a month later, Max Crosby on his show compared him to Martavis Bryant. And if Max Crosby is seeing things that I’m seeing, well, then I like to pat myself on the back here a little bit. But it’s because that’s how freakish of an athlete Thornton is. Look at the height. Look at the 40 time. Thornton’s a better athlete. 10 yard split. Yes, the vertical was an advantage to Martavis. But my point is, I know what type of athlete Bryant is and was if he just needed to be able to keep his head on straight. But then when you just look at the numbers that these two were putting up in college, and I should also mention, you know, Clemson at this time was literally like the powerhouse of college football. Tennessee a little bit of a gimmicky offense. And I don’t really think that you could fully see all of the skill sets that he’s bringing. But when you’re 6’5 and you are as big and long as what he is and you run a 43, I don’t know if y’all know this, but the only three wide receivers that have been over 6’4 that have ran a 43 40ard dash at the combine, we’re talking about DK Metaf, Calvin Johnson, and Dante Thornton Jr. That is elite elite company. And I do really believe that with that athletic freakish ability, if he gets better and better, watch the f out. So, this is going to be the pin comment here on today’s show. How many receiving yards will Foron end up having as a rookie this upcoming season? My answer is going to be right here after this YouTube ad break. My 2025 stat projection for the Raiders rookie receiver out of Tennessee. I’m going to give him 42 targets, which some people might think is a little bit of a low number, but I’m going to give him 23 catches and 447 yards. That is an average of 19.5 yards per catch with three total touchdowns. It’s not that I don’t think that Thornton is a good player. It’s not that I don’t think that he could have a legit breakout season, but I don’t think that he’s going to get more targets than Trey Tucker, Brock Bowers, Jacobe Meyers. He’s also going to have to share with Tommy Malad. He’s also going to have to share with Jack Bashion. Oh, yeah. He’s also gonna have to share with a guy by the name of Ashton Genty. So, when you think about Thornton breaking out, I don’t want people to just think about him breaking out from a snap perspective. I want people to think about him looking at him and go, “That guy might not be ready to go first year to totally break out, but he is going to surprise a lot of people as a rookie.” Let’s go to the next reason here. I have heard from multiple Raiders players and people that watch this show a lot this off season have heard me say that Thoron is a great teammate. And I had actually a Raiders player tell me that they love just how much of himself that he is. He’s not afraid to show up wearing his grills. He’s not afraid to make you laugh. He’s not afraid to be the big character in a room filled with a lot of, you know, veteran players in terms of this Raiders wide receiver room because I know there’s not a lot of known names up here. Okay. Jacobe W Jacobe Myers though definitely a veteran. Trey Tucker on this wide receiver room is one of the veterans. Then you get guys that are a little bit more like Colin Johnson has been around the league for a few years. Alex Bachmann that’s been around the league for a few years. When you have an interesting blend of some veterans and then a lot of young guys, you kind of want to see who separates themselves. And I’ve heard from multiple people that Dante Thornton Jr. has absolutely done that, showing that he is a great teammate on and off the field. Let’s go to the next reason here of why I think that Thornton is going to surprise. I believe he’s an underrated wide receiver. And I say that because the amount of people that have been saying that this guy is only a deep threat. He can only run go routes. I think it’s because all they did was watch film on him at Tennessee. And I’ll be real at Tennessee, that’s really all they asked him to do. They were like, “Hey man, go deep.” But you know what? When you’re averaging 25.4 yards per catch, I don’t think it’s the worst idea out there. When you watch the tape on him at Oregon in 2021 and 2022, I get it. He’s a younger version of himself, but he at least puts out on tape that he runs a lot more complete of a route tree. And when you’ve heard some of the reports and when you’ve seen some of the stories that have come out from OTAAS, from mini camp, rookie mini camp, one of the biggest things that I gathered was that Thoron does run a lot more of a complete route tree than what he actually gets credit for. So for that reason, you know that he is a lot more of a receiver than just a deep threat. and at 65 with a 4-3. If he finishers out that route, dude, I’m telling you, sky’s the limit. The last reason here of why I think that he’s going to surprise and why I’m just so confident in the Thornton pick overall, he is an elite decoy. And realistically, calling him a decoy, I I hope that he doesn’t get mad at me for saying that. And I hope that y’all don’t get mad at me for saying that because I do believe that he is a lot more than just a decoy. But every time he steps out there on the field, that defensive coordinator has to respect the speed, has to respect the red zone ability, has to respect the height and weight, and he’s a player that is a lot more physically tough and strong than what he gets credit for. But one of the reasons why I was so happy when the Raiders went out and got him is because over the past few years, the amount of defenses that have just stacked the box and really try to take away the running game. The Raiders had a clear message. If we’re going to go out and we’re going to get an Ashton Genty, I want every player that we draft to help make sure that Genty is the best player possible. Whether or not you throw the ball to Thornton, he’s going to stretch the field, which creates more one-on-ones for Brock Bowers, Jacobe Meyers, Michael Mayer, Trey Tucker, Ashton Genty. Every time he’s on the field, you got to account for him, and that is why he might be one of the best decoys in the NFL. Coming up here, some other surprise players on the Raiders. Now, the article that was released was allaround under the radar guys. I thought about putting a dude like Gino Smith on this show, but he’s not an under the radar guy. Yeah, he might surprise some Raiders fans and he might be on a show in the future around some breakout candidates, but the guys that you’re going to hear me talk about are under the radar. So, please keep that in mind. Before I get into some of those guys, I got a hell of a deal for everybody that’s watching this show right now. I was recently with one of our sponsors. And if you go to chatsports.com/tsale, I’m going to say it again. T as in t-shirt, t-ale. chatsports.com/tesale. That link is down in the comments. It’s in the description of today’s show. If you’re looking for a brand new Black Raider shirt, they are usually $50. You can get them right now for $29. But you know what? I’m a man that likes a good deal. They also have them available in gray. And I’ll tell you this, silver, however you want to look at it. I’m usually not somebody that likes to get gray or silver things because I sweat a lot. When you see the performance fabric that is on these and the color, it’s like a really clean looking silver. This is going to look really freaking good if you’re walking around in Allegiance Stadium, if you’re walking around Las Vegas when it’s hot. But if you really notice, this one’s only $22. So, if you’re looking for a Raider shirt that is a big time sale, chatsports.com/tale is the link you got to use. These will go off the shelf quick. So, if you want to get your hands on them, you better do it now. Let’s go to the top five players that are I believe under the radar that could surprise. And number one, I believe will end up being the biggest surprise. Number five on my list, I’m going to go with Tommy Malot, the Raiders wide receiver, special teams ace. And the only reason why I put Malad on here is because I don’t know if people know all that much about him, but he was literally the best player in FCS last year. Ended up winning the Walter Payton Award, which is essentially the Heisman Trophy. He is a dynamic athlete. He is somebody that is more athletic than a Julian Edelman. And when you hear the reports of he is starting to put it together as a wide receiver, but Tom McMahon, the Raider special teams coach, is like when this kid just goes out there and he and he’s just an athlete. He doesn’t think people don’t realize how truly talented he is. And I do think that Tommy Malot is going to be one of these special players. Maybe not this year right away, but in the future, I’ll bet on it. Let’s go to number four here. Linebacker Amari Gainor, the former UDI UDFA out of North Carolina. And with all the question marks around this Raiders linebacker room, Gainner is going to have an opportunity, I believe, to get out on the field. Aland Roberts, Devin White are not coverage linebackers. Germaine Pratt is probably the best coverage linebacker that we have. And with this team drafting Cody Lindenburgg in the seventh round and with already reports that Iikenberg might be on his way out, Gainner’s got one thing that a lot of these other guys don’t have. It is that ability to cover. He’s also really solid in special teams and at the end of last season got more and more reps as the year went on. I also know that the people he surrounds himself on the Raiders are the right people to surround yourself by and the people that are very important in that locker room have taken notice to him. Amomari Gainor is somebody to keep in mind. Let’s go to number three here and it’s actually going to be the guy that you’re watching this video on. Dante Thornton Jr. and it’s not that I do not think that he’s deserving to be number one. I just think the other two guys are going to make a bigger impact for the Raiders this season. And I think that that impact might surprise some people. Now, I will admit the next two names that you’re going to see might not be that big of a surprise names around the nation, but I thought this article was more of like surprise names around the entire National Football League. So, before I get into the top two, I want to know from all of y’all down in the comments section, who is the under the radar Raider that you believe is going to surprise the most this upcoming season? Somebody like a Tommy Malot, somebody like an Amari Gainer, somebody like a Dante Thornton Jr. My answers are coming up here in just a moment. Let’s go to number two. I’m going to put in Michael Mayer entering his third year as a tight end. Some people might say somebody that’s drafted in the second round. Can’t be an under the radar player. I’ll just say somebody who’s only played 25 games in his career and is the tight end too on a roster behind Brock Bowers and has had so many trade rumors, so many rumors around him in general. and honestly somebody that had to step away from football from a little bit last season due to some issues that he was dealing with. My point is I do believe that this is going to be the year where Mayor finally shows us, yeah, that was a hell of a draft pick. And I think he’s finally going to show the entire world that, you know what, yeah, I might not be the number one tight end on this team, but I’m a top 10, top 15 tight end in the National Football League from a blocking and receiving perspective. Michael Mayer in this two tight end sets you’re going to see with Chip Kelly is about to have a big season. But to me, the number one guy that I think is going to surprise some people, and I had this conversation with one of my buddies the other day, he works at Fantasy Pros, and he’s like, “Who do you think’s the biggest Raider sleeper at wide receiver?” I think it’s Trey Tucker. And I almost wonder if Tucker’s going to have a season, not so much like a Tyler Locket type of year, but Tucker has looked phenomenal this off season. He’s finally going to have a quarterback that I do really think fits what he’s great at. Chip Kelly is really good at being able to spread you out, use speed, attack you down the field. Those are the things that Trey Tucker does well. I also heard this off seasonason that he’s finally, you know, starting to put together that route tree a little bit more. They’re going to try to put the ball in his belly. They’re going to try to put the ball in his hands. And when it’s happened this off season already, he’s come down with the catch where a lot of years, you know, in the past, his first two years, he was a little inconsistent, let’s be honest, at catching the football. Seems like he’s taken a lot more serious with that. seems like he’s taking a step forward. Seems like he’s seeing the ball a lot better. And if he’s able to put it together and if he’s able to get a 100 targets this season, I don’t see why Tucker can’t be somewhere around that 70 catches, 800, 900 yard mark, which is a lot. And that would surprise a lot of people. If you do not know, I’m going to have a special live show Thursday, July 10th at 4 PM Eastern time. Make sure you’re subscribed. Make sure those notifications are turned on because when you see who I have on this show, I think you might consider it a big surprise. [Music]

ESPN revealed a BIG Surprise for the Las Vegas Raiders recently in an article titled “2025 NFL offseason: Biggest surprise players on each team.” Raiders Report host Mitchell Renz is breaking down his biggest surprises for Pete Carroll and John Spytek’s team. Find out why players like Dont’e Thornton Jr., Tommy Mellott, Amari Gainer, Tre Tucker, Michael Mayer were discussed today.

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Raiders Biggest Surprise?
Article: 2025 NFL offseason: Biggest surprise players on each team
Dont’e Thornton Jr. was named the Raiders biggest surprise
He was drafted in the 4th round & wasn’t projected to be a starter

ESPN on the Raiders big surprise
“The fourth-round pick made a strong case to be a Day 1 contributor for Las Vegas. Thornton received a good amount of reps with the first-team offense, as his combination of size (6-5, 205) and speed (4.3 40 at the combine) makes him a threat in the intermediate and deep passing game. At Tennessee, Thornton was known for his big-play ability, leading the nation in yards per catch (25.4) and catches for 50-plus yards (six). The Raiders didn’t make major moves at wide receiver this offseason, meaning Thornton and second-round pick Jack Bech will be asked to step up in a big way in Year 1. Thornton showed he could be ready to answer the call.”

Mitchell Renz asked the following questions:
– How many receiving yards will Dont’e Thornton Jr. have this season?
– Which under-the-radar Raider will surprise the most this season?

Las Vegas Raiders Report YouTube videos to watch:
– Raiders Trade Rumors: 5 Miami Dolphins Las Vegas Should Target In A Deal Involving Michael Mayer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPn5jqxQR6w
– Darren Waller Traded To Dolphins! What It Means For The Raiders & The Michael Mayer Trade Rumors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGX1IGwfARo
– Michael Mayer Trade? NEW Raiders Trade Rumors Thanks To Dolphins & Steelers Jalen Ramsey Trade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WdPbo2NRNs

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