Film Breakdown: 5 Catches Show What Phillip Dorsett Can Provide Seahawks
When Russell Wilson stated pre-free agency he wanted “superstars,” he probably didn’t have Phillip Dorsett in mind. However, the addition of the former first-round pick out of Miami on a cheap one-year deal is still excellent business from general manager John Schneider.
Looking at five catches specifically, here’s what Dorsett will bring to the Seattle's offense.
Dorsett’s 2015 NFL Combine was so impressive that the Colts went and took him in the first round. At the underwear olympics, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound Dorsett ran a 4.33 40-yard dash (95th percentile among receivers) and a 6.77-second 3-cone drill (86th percentile among receivers), jumped 37 inches vertically, and leaped 122 inches in the broad jump at Lucas Oil Stadium.
You’d expect such athletic ability to be dominant at the NFL level, but on tape, the 27-year-old appears to lack the top-end acceleration to be a total burner. Instead, he is more of a Tyler Lockett-mirror on Seattle’s roster. He too has managed to become a deep possession receiver despite being short.
Reliable pass catching is a theme of Dorsett’s game. He adjusts to footballs in mid-air on all types of routes, plus is able to contort his body and change his catch-type based on the throw.
Take this rep against Browns rookie cornerback Greedy Williams. Dorsett snags the over-the-shoulder bucket catch brilliantly, tapping both feet in bounds. With a corner in press trail position, this play is impossible to defend.
At the catch point, he possesses immense concentration to hang on - even when faced with impending doom.
Against the Steelers, after a crafty route stem, Dorsett slowed in the seam space of the Cover 3 coverage. He capitalized on the slow middle of the field and managed to hang on with a high-point, chest catch to score the touchdown.
Versus the Eagles, Dorsett demonstrated amazing toughness to hang on to Julian Edelman’s trick play pass. He got absolutely smashed on the touchdown reception, showing visible agony afterwards, yet the ball remained in his clutches.
In addition to making history for being the receiver to catch Brady’s 523rd touchdown pass, passing Drew Brees for second-most all time against the New York Jets, Dorsett was able to make history of his own. It’s testament to his reliability as a catcher. Sports Info Solutions charted him as having zero drops in 2019.
He prioritizes securing the catch low and away from his frame. This partially explains the low yards after catch numbers for Dorsett. SIS had him with just 2.8 yards after the catch per completion. Not only does Dorsett play conservative when catching the ball, but even when on his feet as a ball carrier, there are a number of elements that limit his gains. He doesn’t have the natural feel for lanes, missing openings and not pressing blocks well. He is also impatient, outrunning potential set-ups. Most importantly, he was consistently unable to make the first man miss in 2019. Therefore, when talking about Dorsett on end-arounds or jet motion, he has the speed but lacks the other desirable elements.
As a route runner, there are intelligent stems and leverage play from Dorsett, though he does lack explosion when coming out his cuts. He was a reliable short option on hitch and smoke routes versus off coverage - something Seattle enjoys hitting. The drop steps from Dorsett to create room to where he wants to win are both pretty and effective.
Facing Dolphins cornerback Eric Rowe, Dorsett gained leverage for the two-way go, then won with quickness and an arm bar to separate to the outside. He recorded a big-time catch well away from his frame. When at the top of his routes, Dorsett has an effective bam step and punch to break to space.
Against zone coverage from the slot, Dorsett also was comfortable as a route runner. On this reception, again playing Miami, Dorsett slowed in the weak-spot of the Cover 3 and caught the ball away from his frame. Immediately he protected the ball from the defenders and ensured he finished the process of the catch.
Encouragingly, Dorsett’s best 2019 work came outside of the hash marks and near the numbers. This matches Wilson’s game. Brady’s lack of arm strength left Dorsett out to dry, balls taking too long to get there. Brady was also massively anticipatory as a thrower, launching it to a spot with timing. Wilson will do this too in certain situations, but only if he implicitly trusts the receiver in question. Dorsett should be able to earn that trust, but Wilson is a very different franchise quarterback.
Wilson will be able to unlock more of Dorsett’s potential deep. Brady’s arm massively limited his effectiveness on deep targets as the season progressed. Brady finished last season with 6.6 yards per completion, while Wilson had 8.
Jacob Hollister is evidence that it can work out for players even if the Patriots say no to a player in his prime. The situation in New England was bizarre. The issue was that, with Josh Gordon and Antonio Brown departing, the Patriots had Julian Edelman and a bunch of unknown targets. As a result, Dorsett received way more reps on the line of scrimmage than he will in Seattle. (Edelman was freed up by this) Dorsett struggles with press and can be protected aligning off in a Z or slot role.
Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s best trait is to understand the skill sets of his weapons and utilize them accordingly. Despite Seattle running 11 personnel 79 percent of the time - third-most in the league - after Lockett and DK Metcalf, the third receiver was a lot less clear. Having a more obvious third receiver would be huge. A complimentary piece is all that Dorsett should be anyway, at best a No. 3 receiver. This would keep align him off the line of scrimmage.
Dorsett won’t impress with his run blocking which, like his ability to beat press, suffers from a lack of play strength. His versatility extends to potential punt return duties. He has two career punt return attempts, but is likely to be hampered by the same issues his yards after catch ability is impacted by: lack of vision and patience.
So, Dorsett is a slot who can do some outside stuff. And that’s fine. He will push rivals for the third receiver gig like John Ursua to learn the playbook or get cut. Seattle already has made moves, withdrawing their exclusive rights tender on Malik Turner - although he could return for cheaper later in free agency. Ultimately, Dorsett could become the kind of receiver who gets 500 yards with Russell Wilson’s ability to spread the love on offense. And for under $900,000? It’s not a superstar, but it is the latest Schneider steal.
