An in-Depth Look at Colts' Most Intriguing Selection, Phillip Dorsett
The Indianapolis Colts had one of the more intriguing drafts compared to the rest of the league this past weekend. Despite glaring needs on defense and top-tier prospects available in the first round, general manager Ryan Grigson and the rest of the Colts staff took the top player on their board.
That player just so happened to be a wide receiver.
With receivers like T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson and Donte Moncrief already on the roster, the Colts still decided to take Miami wide receiver Phillip Dorsett with the No. 29 overall selection. Granted, the Colts still drafted multiple players on the other side of the ball, but the fact that they drafted yet another receiver had a lot of fans confused.
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For those who haven't watched Dorsett play, I can understand why you're upset. However, once you take a look at the 22-year-old, you can see that the Miami prospect has a legitimate chance to be a star in the NFL.
Playing with the Hurricanes, Dorsett didn't have the most reliable quarterbacks throwing him the ball. However, that didn't keep him from averaging 24.2 yards per reception this past season. His hands weren't an issue, either, dropping just one pass on 67 targets last year, according to Pro Football Focus.
At 5'10" and 185 pounds, Dorsett drew plenty of comparisons to Hilton heading into the draft. However, from a measurables standpoint, Dorsett is the more physically gifted player. Along with running the 40-yard dash in 4.27 seconds at his pro day and running the three-cone drill in 6.7 seconds at the NFL combine, Dorsett also has 9 ⅜" hands, almost an entire inch larger than Hilton's.
He might not be the biggest player, but because of those large hands, Dorsett can make some pretty impressive catches in traffic. That was on full display with this catch early in the season against Nebraska.
In the fourth quarter, Dorsett is able to get behind the Nebraska cornerback covering him. However, because of an underthrown ball, the Miami receiver had to adjust accordingly. You can see him look up and begin tracking the ball in the photo above.
Dorsett keeps tracking the ball, and with the corner's back turned trying to catch up with him, the 22-year-old is able to slow down, adjust his body and make a terrific catch in traffic for a 32-yard gain.
Like Hilton, Dorsett shows the toughness to play on the outside in the NFL, but he will likely thrive playing in the slot. His breakaway speed and explosiveness allow him to turn short passes into huge plays, much like he did against Cincinnati.
On a short dump-off pass on 3rd-and-10, Dorsett catches the ball just four yards down the field with his momentum going toward the left side of the field. Two defenders are already near him, and two more are waiting on that side.
But thanks to Dorsett's incredible speed, along with an inadvertent pick from the referee, he turns the play into a 30-plus-yard gain. His speed doesn't just help him after the catch, either. Dorsett is also able to take the top off of defenses, especially when they're focused on other players.
Going back to Miami's game against Arkansas State, Dorsett had one of his bigger plays of the season by proving himself as a vertical threat.
Dorsett's fellow receiver runs a route inside, while he breaks off the outside. Arkansas State only has two defenders in coverage on that side of the field, with the safety playing the deeper route.
Thanks to his blazing speed and hesitation from the Arkansas State safety, Dorsett is able to burn past him and make the catch in stride for a 63-yard touchdown.
The versatile skill set from Dorsett makes me believe that he has a chance to be a starter in this league, especially with Andrew Luck throwing him the ball. However, that might not happen right away. Dorsett is joining a team with multiple established receivers and tight ends, so he'll only get a limited number of touches.
I expect offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton to still try and get Dorsett involved if he impresses in training camp. Ideally, the Colts now have two sets of receivers that can be switched out in Hilton and Johnson along with Dorsett and Moncrief, keeping all of them fresh during games.
There are also questions about how Dorsett will be received by his new teammates. According to Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk, there were multiple Colts players not happy with the team's decision to draft another receiver. However, if Dorsett can continue to make plays like he did in college, then the rest of the team will be more than happy to have him in Indianapolis.
When I see Dorsett, I can't help but think of a player with a skill set like that of Hilton or Odell Beckham Jr. while he was at LSU. There's no guarantee he makes that kind of impact in the NFL, but I legitimately think that he can be a star for the Colts in the near future.
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