Although the Las Vegas Raiders’ rookie class did not have the impact they would have liked this season, the Raiders still need the group to continue developing over the next two weeks and throughout the offseason. This is especially true for rookie wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr.
Raiders’ Development
The Raiders entered the season with high hopes for Thornton. At one point, he had a greater role in Las Vegas’ offense than fellow rookie wide receiver Jack Bech, who the Raiders drafted two rounds before Thornton. Thornton would eventually fall down the depth chart after struggling this season.
Earlier this week, Raiders Interim Offensive Coordinator Greg Olson outlined what Thornton must do to continue improving this offseason. Thornton has shown potential but is still a little rough around the edges. Still, the Raiders’ offense would be extremely more formidable with a polished Thornton.
“Yeah, same thing. I think just continual improvement, and I think it’s easier said than done for a lot of players. There’s a lot of players that come in the league, and it’s a long season, your first year as a rookie year,” Olson said.
“And you can go back and look at the history of wide receivers in the NFL, and there’s very few of them that have had really good years their rookie season. So, we just got to see continued growth and continued improvement.”
Earlier this week, Raiders quarterback Geno Smith noted that Thornton and other rookies, such as Ashton Jeanty and Jack Bech, have put in extra time to learn from him. It has led to Las Vegas’ offense taking small strides after struggling this season. The unit still has a ways to go.
Nov 30, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA;Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. (10) attempts to make a catch against Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Donte Jackson (26) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
“I mean, honestly, Jack [Bech] and I, we’ve been meeting together every morning at like 7 a.m., and I get Jack on the board, and I make him draw up the plays from the game plan, and I make him talk me through the reads. And I’ve been doing that with Dont’e [Thornton Jr.] as well and Ashton [Jeanty] as well,” Smith said.
“And what I think is happening is that, just the big picture of what’s going on on defense and then what we’re trying to accomplish on offense is really starting to show itself. And they’re understanding what they need to do and how they need to get open in different ways and different areas they can improve. And I think Jack’s done a great job of just working hard and putting the work in, and usually when you do that, good things happen.”
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