The Las Vegas Raiders continued building up their draft class Saturday, taking one of the best physical athletes in Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Here are a few things to get you acquainted with the Tennessee receiver.

Baltimore's finest

The Baltimore, Maryland, native comes from humble beginnings.

He became a four-star prospect at Mount St. Joseph High School and led them to a state championship his junior season. Along with his on-field accomplishments, he graduated with a 3.9 GPA and was elected class president. He also helped raise his four younger siblings in a single parent household, as his father was incarcerated since he was nine years old.

"I'd say it was just me being the older brother and just trying to help my mother and make things easier for her," Thornton told The Baltimore Sun. "My mother took care of us, she did a great job of taking care of us, but I was just doing whatever I could to help make it easier on her throughout that process."

"I was forced to grow up a little faster and maybe I didn't live the true childhood that a normal kid should have in terms of a lot of things, but I felt like all that stuff shaped me to be the man that I am today," he added.

Turning it around in Tennessee

After two seasons at Oregon, Thornton began making a name for himself after transferring to Tennessee.

With the Volunteers, he caught 39 passes for 885 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 22.7 yards per catch. He finished with over 100 yards in three games in 2024, as Tennessee reached a 10-3 record and their first CFB Playoff Berth. It's also worth noting his 25.4 yards per reception recorded in his senior season led the nation in that category.

"I thought with me having the aspiration of wanting to go to the NFL and being a receiver, Tennessee was the best option for me," Dont'e Thornton Jr. told local media after being drafted. "And I definitely feel like it paid off. Like it wasn't immediate and it didn't turn over the way I wanted as fast as it did, but it ended up being all good for me at the end of it."

Combine standout

Thornton strung together a superb showing at the NFL Combine with his athleticism.

While posting impressive times in the 10-yard split (1.51) and a 10-foot-6 in the broad jump, he recorded a 4.30 in the 40-yard dash, the second best time of any receiver at the event. This is even more impressive accounting for the fact Thornton is 6-foot-5, making him the tallest player to run a 4.30 or faster 40-yard dash at the Combine since 2003.

"[A]long with being a deep threat down the field, a big guy that's fast," Thornton describing his skillset. "I'd say just bringing a great player into the program, a guy that's going to do whatever it takes to make the program better in any aspect. I'm just basically doing my one percent all the time. And, yeah, that's the biggest thing, just coming in and being a great guy for the team."