From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, Day 3 selections, or priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Tennessee WR Dont’e Thornton.
No. 1 Dont’e Thornton/WR Tennessee – 6045/205 pounds (Senior)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Dont’e Thornton | 6045/205 | 9 5/8 | 32 1/8 | 79 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.30 | 1.51 | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 10’6″ | 33 | N/A |
THE GOOD
– Freaky height/weight/speed combination
– Game speed matches timed speed and is one of the fastest players in the class, can stack corners with ease
– Maintains speed throughout routes when defenders have to slow down
– Shows extra gear to blow by corners vertically with open-field wheels to run away from everyone
– Plucks ball away from body and is a good hands catcher
– Aggressive and prideful blocker who strains, finishes, and is effective
– Playmaker who consistently hit big in college
The Bad
– One-note receiver with true feast/famine production
– Limited route tree and played in college-style offense with reduced snap counts
– Lacks wiggle mid-route to create space at break point on anything other than slants
– Higher drop rate for limited targets
– Despite frame, isn’t a leaper who attacks and high-points the ball
– Needs to get upfield quicker post-catch on underneath routes
– Raw with big NFL projection
– Small number of receptions and limited body of work to evaluate
– Variety of injuries over final two years that hindered availability and production
Bio
– Turns 23 in November 2025
– 47 career games, 12 starts
– Career: 65 receptions, 1,426 yards (21.9 YPR) and 10 TDs
– 2024: 26 receptions, 661 yards (25.4 YPR) and six TDs
– Spent 2021-2022 at Oregon, transferred to Tennessee for 2023 and 2024 seasons
– Had 26 receptions, 541 yards (20.8 YPR) and three touchdowns in two seasons at Oregon
– Never had more than 26 receptions in a season
– 2024: 322 outside snaps, 22 in slot (per Pro Football Focus); had 125 slot snaps to 83 out wide in 2023 but considered to be playing “out of position”
– Four-star recruit from Baltimore; chose Oregon over Florida, Michigan, and Penn State (took several visits) and many other power programs; called Oregon his “dream” school since he was a child
– Cited high-power passing game as reason he transferred to Tennessee
– Averaged 36.5 yards per reception junior year of high school (38 receptions, 1,021 yards); senior season cancelled because of COVID
– Part of track and field team in high school (100m, relay, and high/long jump)
– Broke his collarbone in high school at end of junior year
– Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel called him a “relentless worker”
– Suffered numerous minor injuries in 2024: Nov. 9 (upper body), Nov. 30 (upper body), Dec. 21 (lower body) and reportedly suffered knee injury early in the year
– Dealt with hamstring injury in spring and preseason of 2023 while missing a game because of it; ruled out for season in November with leg injury
– Five total drops across 2023 and 2024 seasons with Tennessee
Tape Breakdown
Dont’e Thornton came out of Maryland as the No. 1 receiver in the state, but he never had the college career to match. Two years at Oregon and two more at Tennessee, Thornton was a slot machine. Lots of misses but when he hit, it came up triple sevens.
Not creating much buzz until his excellent NFL Combine workout, Thornton is a 4.3 guy on the field, not just the track. He ran away from everyone in college and impressively maintained speed through his routes. Dangerous on slants and vertical throws, he stacks and flies by corners on a regular basis.
Thornton blocks, too. He plays with effort and strain through the whistle, maximizing his reps even with how infrequently he got the ball.
Thornton is the true definition of hit or miss. In 2024, he had more games with under 15 yards (four) than games with 100-plus yards (three). And in the latter, he caught three passes each game, creating a video game-like yards per reception. His body of work is limited in snaps and production with just 65 total receptions.
His route tree was thin. Bubble screens, slants, and go balls along with curls on RPOs. He played in an up-tempo, wide-split Tennessee offense. Thornton’s projection is difficult knowing he’ll have to do a lot more than just that at the NFL level. Health is also an issue, Thornton constantly plagued by nagging injuries in his career, especially to his legs.
Conclusion
Overall, Dont’e Thornton’s highs were fine. But they accounted for about 10 percent of the Tennessee tape you’d watch. The rest was him on the sidelines, trainer’s room, or inactivity. While the NFL will be a projection in terms of his route tree, a smart NFL team will play to his strengths. There is a role for the “go deep” guy in the NFL. It caps upside and value, but the league has plenty of niche examples: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Rashid Shaheed, and, to a lesser extent, Christian Watson.
One of those names is my comp: Marquez Valdes-Scantling. A No.4 type of receiver with situational deep-ball ability to take the top off a defense. However, volume and a full route tree aren’t what you’re drafting him for. In a relatively weak draft class, he could go above projection based on his tools and potential.
Projection: Early-Mid Day 3
Depot Drafted Grade: 7.0MED – Fifth Round (Backup/Special Teamer)
Games Watched: vs Georgia (2022), at Oklahoma (2024), vs Alabama (2024), at Vanderbilt (2024), vs Kentucky (2024), TD cut-ups
