Phillip Dorsett: Speed to Burn

Doug Green Posted On April 21, 2015

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Faster than fast, quicker than quick he’s…

Lightning McQueen.

What? You fell for the old gag of actually believing the headline was actually about the story inside? Nah, “click and switch” is the oldest trick on the internet (see: Rolling, Rick). It may have said this article is about Miami’s Phillip Dorsett, but if all you came here for is speed, well Mater, there’s more to his story than that.

Dorsett will never be confused with the biggest guy in the wide receiver corps, but at 5’10” and 185 pounds he has NFL size and durability. He has good hands and is excellent at high-pointing the ball. He has above average to excellent body control, twisting and contorting himself to make challenged catches all over the field.

While Lightning McQueen had his friends to help him along, what makes Dorsett tough to evaluate is the play of his quarterbacks the past two seasons. In 2013 he had Stephen Morris, who is on Jacksonville’s roster as the third quarterback. Morris was wildly inconsistent and would make head-scratching mistakes. Dorsett did have a slight tear of his MCL in 2013, but is completely healed from that now, but ended his season with only 13 catches.

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This past season, Dorsett was paired with freshman Brad Kaaya, who often played like one. Much like his predecessor, Kaaya would sometimes laser a pass right on the money, other times, he was way off base. Dorsett’s best game this past season was a four catch, 201 yard, two touchdown effort against Arkansas State. Against real competition, his best outing was five catches, 103 yards and a touchdown against Pittsburgh in the last regular season game.

While his route tree isn’t that smooth or complex, he does run more than the go routes most think of him for. Against Georgia Tech, for example, Dorsett’s first reception comes off a hitch over the middle against zone coverage. He then spins back, cuts against the grain of the defense for a 30-yard reception. Later in the same game he catches a deep in for a first down and then takes a shallow cross and moves the stick another time. In Miami’s game against Virginia, Dorsett’s second reception is an eight-yard out route. He works both outside and in the slot in all his games, moving around and forcing the defense to find him.

Now that you’ve made it this far into the article, it’s time for a spoiler. Okay, yeah. He’s fast. No, not Lightning McQueen, Dorsett. He’s the fastest guy in this draft class and it’s not really close. NFL Network tried to hype him up as the guy who would break Chris Johnson’s combine record in the 40-yard dash of 4.24. While Dorsett didn’t break it, he notched a 4.33 time, which is outstanding by anyone’s standards.

It doesn’t take long on film to pick up on Dorsett’s speed. It’s not uncommon to see him blow by coverage or streaking downfield on a 9-route. More than half of his 36 catches went for 25 yards or more (24.2 yards per catch). The Hurricanes also used him on screens and shallow crosses, allowing him to get the ball in space and then use that raw horsepower to pull away from the pack.

The best way to review a player is to put him up against NFL level competition. Miami squared off against Florida State on November 15, 2014. In that game Dorsett had four catches for 90 yards and a score.

His first catch comes midway through the first quarter. He runs a seam route, plucking the ball from the air in the middle of three defenders for a 36-yard pickup. Kaaya comes right back to him on the next play as Dorsett runs a corner route to the middle of the field for a 35-yard touchdown, while tight end Clive Walford draws the attention of the free safety, clearing out the middle of the field.

His third catch comes with just under three minutes left in the first quarter. Dorsett runs a two-yard hitch at the left hash and settles underneath the Seminoles’ zone. Kaaya hits him and Dorsett works his way across the field for an 18-yard pickup.

Dorsett doesn’t pick up his fourth catch until late in the fourth quarter after the Hurricanes have fallen behind. Facing 3rd and 2 with less than 90 seconds to play, Kaaya finds him on a square in for eight yards and a first down.

During this game, Dorsett had two leaping attempts in the end zone. The first one he caught, but was pushed out of bounds, the second he dropped on his way to the ground.

Catches two and three in this game showcased his speed. Both of the failed touchdown attempts highlighted his excellent body control. Catches one and four demonstrate that he can run more than just a go route.

The point here is Dorsett as a college wide receiver was capable of more than just catching deep passes. He can develop those skills at the NFL level. Initially he may be counted on as the deep specialist by whatever team selects, then develop him into a complete receiver as time moves on.

Dorsett to me is a poor man’s version of Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown. Both are 5’10” and 185 pounds. Both are speed receivers, though Dorsett is obviously faster (4.33 to 4.47 40 times), they each make big plays in big spots. Both have excellent body control, twisting themselves in midair to make catches. That is his potential.

In terms of where Dorsett will go in the NFL draft, most are projecting him to the second round, though ESPN’s Mel Kiper did have him going at pick No. 31 in February’s mock draft. He has moved Dorsett out of the first round since then.

Dorsett is projected to go somewhere between the back end of the first round and the middle of the second in most rookie drafts. Initially he may just be used as the deep threat thanks to his speed, but if his offensive coordinator sees him as more than a one-trick pony, Dorsett could become a valuable piece.

If you manage to land him, you might be looking at claiming the Piston Cup in your league this season.

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