By Todd Brand –
One of the biggest surprises of the first round, Phillip Dorsett is on his way to Indy to catch passes from Andrew Luck.
A speed demon who can take the top off the defense Dorsett plays faster than any WR in this class. A blazing 4.33 at the combine, no one else translates their combine speed to the game quite like Dorsett. Separating from defenders with ease, he makes defenders appear as though they are running half speed. Criminally underutilized at Miami, Dorsett is not afraid to go up for the ball (37″ vertical) and can explode after the catch. Seen by some as more of a gadget player in the form of Percy Harvin, Dorsett must work his route running ability and may have trouble getting off of press coverage because of his size (5’10 – 185lbs).
Landing in Indy is a two-edged sword for Dorsett’s outlook. On one side, he has fantasy’s #1 QB in Andrew Luck throwing him the ball in one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. On the other, he is buried on the depth chart behind TY Hilton, Andre Johnson and young freak Donte Moncrief. With TY Hilton becoming a free agent after this season and Indy’s need to give Luck a monstrous contract that will likely be the highest in NFL history, perhaps the Indianapolis Colts are preparing to let Hilton walk after 2015. Andre Johnson also isn’t getting any younger and perhaps they see Dorsett as the eventual successor. No matter what happens after this season, Indianapolis didn’t draft Dorsett to let him ride the bench for long. He will likely be the Colts immediate kick and punter returner, but it might take a year or two to make him fantasy relevant in leagues that don’t award points for return yardage. A late flier in redraft leagues, dynasty owners are going to have to consider whether or not they can afford to wait for Dorsett to contribute. If you can, you might be able to get him later than many other receivers in this class and he could outperform them in the long run.