Who Should I Start? Parker Washington or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Wednesday, January 28, 3:00 PM

In his third season in the NFL, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington had a career year, setting new highs across the board in catches (58), targets (95), receiving yards (847), and touchdowns (five) in 16 regular-season games. All of those marks also led the team in 2025. Washington finished strong as well, hauling in seven of his 12 targets for 107 yards and a touchdown in the Wild-Card playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. The 23-year-old pass-catcher developed a strong relationship with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who had his best season as a pro under first-year head coach Liam Coen. Jakobi Meyers and Brian Thomas Jr. will eat into Washington's targets, but he arguably made a case to open the 2026 campaign as the team's WR1. The former sixth-rounder was the WR31 in half-PPR scoring and had 100 receiving yards in three of the final four games. Washington is on the rise.

Wednesday, December 31, 12:25 AM

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. has had a quiet rookie season, recording 10 catches (29 targets) for 135 yards and zero touchdowns in 14 games. Thornton earned steady playing time out of the gate -- 61.8% of the snaps over the first five weeks -- and drew at least two targets in each game. Known for his speed and big-play ability as a prospect, he showcased his explosiveness for the Raiders in the first three games of his career, hauling in five of his 12 targets for 94 yards. The Tennessee product posted a 25% explosive-catch rate, tied for the highest in the league among receivers with at least 12 targets during that span. The rookie fourth-rounder's snaps eventually faded, beginning in Week 11, where he played on only 38.3% of snaps and gradually declined every week until bottoming out to 7.4% in Week 16. However, in Week 17, with the Raiders competing for the No. 1 overall pick, Thornton's snaps spiked to 78%. He recorded just two catches (four targets) for 12 yards, but he had his most receptions and targets in a game since Week 3. Looking to 2026, Thornton profiles as a big-play threat who is unlikely to be a consistent producer week to week.