Phillip Dorsett Racing Up Draft Boards as He Aims for Fastest 40 at NFL Combine

This year, the fastest player at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine could win a brand-new, tricked-out Porsche.

That car's nice, but when Miami wide receiver Phillip Dorsett takes the track at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 21, he'll be aiming a bit higher than winning a new car with a ridiculous paint job:

Dorsett will be trying to solidify his rising status as a first-round pick in this year's NFL draft.

Mind you, there are those who think Dorsett is already worthy of first-round consideration. In his latest mock draft at ESPN, Mel Kiper predicts that the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks will make Dorsett the 31st pick on April 30 in Chicago.

The reason is simple: the need for speed.

No, not that kind of speed—but close. As Susan Miller Degnan of The Miami Herald reported back in August, Dorsett set a Hurricanes record in the 40-yard dash last year at 4.21 seconds—a blistering time even for a hand-timed 40.

It's those jets (sorry, couldn't be helped) that Kiper (h/t Palm Beach Post) thinks will appeal to general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll:

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Dorsett would offer Seattle something they simply don't have on the roster right now, which is a player who can consistently create space with quickness in the passing game. The Seahawks are simply far too reliant on Russell Wilson's ability to extend plays and allow wide receivers time to get open, and Dorsett is a Porsche in terms of acceleration and the ability to start fast and stop quickly. He also can beat you deep if you let him to run in a straight line. Remember that Paul Richardson will be coming off an ACL surgery recovery period as the 2015 season starts, so an already thin wide receiving corps isn't a given to be better without any additions.

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Granted, there were some draftniks who were taken aback by Kiper's projection:

Even Omar Kelly of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, a self-professed fan of Dorsett's work, thinks that the first round is pushing it with the 5'10", 195-pounder:

And Kelly has a point. As Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote, there are flaws to Dorsett's game, and he's far from the "ideal" size pro scouts covet in a receiver:

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Still raw in his routes, relying on pure speed. Inconsistent with his hand placement to catch and lets the ball get on top of him. Small frame and will have to withstand hits over the middle as a slot receiver.

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Dorsett's collegiate production also doesn't exactly scream first-rounder. In his four years at "The U," Dorsett never caught 60 passes or topped 900 receiving yards in a season.

Year	Games	Rec.	Yards	Avg.	TD
2011	12	14	147	10.5	1
2012	12	58	842	14.5	4
2013	8	13	272	20.9	2
2014	13	36	871	24.2	10

However, Dorsett's 24.2 yards per catch in 2014 ranked second among FBS wideouts, he found the end zone 10 times a year ago and let's be frank—the Miami offense hasn't exactly been a juggernaut in recent years. The team ranked 48th nationally in passing offense last season.

Those dulcet Dorsett doubts (don't judge me—I get paid by the alliteration) have placed more than a little pressure on the youngster to perform well in "draft season."

The first part of the plan went swimmingly. Dorsett stood out among the wide receivers at last month's Senior Bowl, catching the eye of ESPN's Todd McShay:

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He was the fastest player in Mobile this week -- by a lot -- and he might be the fastest player in the 2015 class. His ability to accelerate off his cuts is a trait he shares with all of the NFL's elite speed threats (I compared it Wednesday to in-his-prime Chris Johnson). But it's about more than just speed with him. He plays under control, getting in and out of his breaks quickly to create separation, and he has very good ball skills.

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It's that comparison with Johnson that's especially interesting as we near this year's combine. Granted, they play different positions, but back in 2008, Johnson was just a fringe first-round prospect, in part due to  questions about his size.

Then Johnson went to Indy, reeled off a 4.24-second 40 time, and the rest is history.

Fast though he may be, Dorsett is going to be hard-pressed to better (or even match) that time. With that said though, if Phillip Dorsett can even approach it, the young pass-catcher will be among the fastest players at the 2015 Scouting Combine...

His ascent toward the first round of the NFL draft is only going to pick up, well, speed.

Gary Davenport is an NFL Analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter @IDPManor.