Dont’e Thornton Jr., WR, Tennessee
Size:
Height: 6045
Weight: 205
Arm: 32 ⅛”
Hand: 9 ⅝”
Accomplishments:
Four-star recruit
"Dont’e Thornton Jr. is a big play waiting to happen with size and speed while showing flashes of a more nuanced route-runner.”
Strengths:
Downfield speed and ability
Release package
Hand usage
Nuance to separate
Concerns:
Consistency
YAC ability
Route tree
Film Analysis:
Dont’e Thornton Jr. played high school football at Mount St. Joseph in Maryland and was the No. 1 receiver recruit in the state. Ranked as the 72nd overall player in the 2019 recruiting class, Thornton racked up 78 receptions for 1,881 yards and 26 touchdowns while his senior season was cut short due to COVID-19. To no surprise, he was a standout while in track, which has translated to the football field.
Thornton committed to Oregon out of high school and played two seasons with the Ducks before transferring to Tennessee for his final two collegiate seasons. Failing to find footing across his four years playing College Football, he totaled 65 catches for 1,426 yards and 10 touchdowns, and this past season, Thornton led the nation in yards per reception (25.4).
Thornton can play inside or out, and his size and speed will be attractive to NFL organizations. With his size, he’s an effective blocker and routinely shows the “want to” block. A deep threat wherever he lines up, he showcases a variety of releases at the line of scrimmage and advanced hand usage to defeat/combat press coverage. He gets up to speed quickly, which puts defenders on notice, causing some to declare early and allowing Thornton to decelerate quickly on breakers and comeback routes. The consistency he decelerates needs to improve to create separation on an every-down basis, but there are signs of manipulation tactics thrown into his route stem.
Intention and head usage open up space in the middle of the field, and Thornton recognizes defensive leverage quickly to alter his route path. He runs routes smoothly at 6-foot-5, but his route tree isn’t as developed as it needs to be with four years of experience. Physicality can throw him off his timing at the catch point, but he shows the tools with ball tracking and hand-eye coordination to be a deep threat at the next level. He’s always looking to play in defender’s blind spots to create added separation, and he’s an active receiver post-snap when the quarterback breaks the pocket.
Thornton needs experience; he played only 534 passing snaps in college and continued showing nuanced movements that need honing. He wasn’t asked to be yards after the catch threat much for Tennessee, and much of the YAC he put up was on breakaway touchdowns.
Thornton is an intriguing prospect with a knack for the big play and a natural feel for trying to create separation with nuance. There’s untapped potential that needs to/can be developed, and his individual work ethic will be an essential factor in the NFL.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: Ohio State (2024), Vanderbilt (2024), Georgia (2024), Mississippi State (2024), Alabama (2024)
