2015 NFL Draft: Colts get A for picking Phillip Dorsett at No. 29
Dorsett will team with T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson and Donte Moncrief to give the Colts one of the deepest and most versatile receiving corps in the league.
With the 29th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts select Miami wide receiver Phillip Dorsett.
When you realize your QB is now Andrew Luck... pic.twitter.com/1xE06CrlkN
— NFLonCBS (@NFLonCBS) May 1, 2015
CBSSports.com senior writer Pete Prisco gave the Colts an A for the pick:
Some may not agree, but I love the addition of speed and Dorsett gives that to Luck and the #Colts. A http://t.co/JH9dWaxEnl
— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) May 1, 2015
Dorsett doesn’t have the physical profile of a No. 1 receiver (he stands only 5-10 and weighs just 185 pounds), but that’s the role he played for the Miami Hurricanes the last three seasons. He was most successful at it in 2012 before succumbing to an MCL tear in 2013 and then playing fewer snaps in a rotation and with a freshman quarterback in 2014, but he still managed total 107 catches for 1,985 yards and 16 touchdowns across 33 games in those three years.
Those numbers reveal Dorsett’s true NFL role: as a deep burner who can stretch the field. He averaged 18.6 yards per reception over those three seasons, scoring a touchdown just about every other game. His 4.33-second 40-yard dash time was expected due to the fact that Dorsett is also a track start, and he scored equally well in the 10-yard split, three-cone and shuttle drills. His speed also translates well in games, as he could occasionally be spotted five yards behind a cornerback. Where Dorsett cannot always be counted on is when it comes to making contested catches. Given his stature, this should not come as a surprise. He’s short and somewhat slight, the typical traits of a player who struggles with this skill.
Dorsett recently addressed this concern in an open letter to his future NFL team at The Player’s Tribune: “Like I tell everybody, when it comes to playing football, it’s about heart. I look at smaller receivers hanging success in the league -- Antonio Brown, T.Y. Hilton, DeSean Jackson -- and in their paths to stardom I see my own. When their teams need a play, they look to those players. And when they look to them, they don’t say, You’re not tall enough. They say, You have to make a play. And that’s me. I’m willing to put in work and lay my body on the line because I am a playmaker.”
Dorsett will now play on the very same team as Hilton, and alongside former University of Miami great Andre Johnson as well. With those three, Donte Moncrief, Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen, it's almost unfair how many weapons Andrew Luck has at his disposal now.
For an on-field scouting report, we have this tidbit from Dane Brugler:
"Possesses true "see-ya" speed with easy acceleration to turn on the jets and erase pursuit angles from defenders and he should be a prime candidate for the fastest 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine. Explosive playmaker with his natural speed and ability to create after the catch.
"Undersized at just 5-9, lacking ideal size and strength for the next level. Has struggled throughout his career with easy drops in important situations. Pre-draft testing will be important to gauge whether Dorsett lost any of his trademark speed due to partial tear of MCL in 2013.” (Note: For what it’s worth, Dorsett wound up testing very well, running a 4.33-second 40-yard dash, as stated above.)
Here are some of the fiscal details of Dorsett's selection: He gets a four-year contract worth $7,386,049 that comes with a $3,631,672 signing bonus.
















