Last season, the "need for speed" was pretty apparent for the Eagles. The team let go of DeSean Jackson in the offseason and had very few big play threats outside of Jeremy Maclin (who is also gone) and Darren Sproles. The lack of a "field-stretcher" made the job harder for Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez as well as LeSean McCoy (again, gone).
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The Eagles may look to solve that problem in this year's draft. Miami's Phillip Dorsett is an absolute burner who would fit in quite well with the team and the fanbase.
College Career
As a three-star high school prospect from nearby Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Dorsett stayed local and committed to Miami in 2011. During his true freshman season, Dorsett played in 12 games (one start) and collected 14 receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown. As a sophomore, Dorsett started 10-of-12 games and caught 58 passes for 842 yards and four touchdowns.
He took a step back as a junior, appearing in only eight games (six starts) and catching just 13 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. A knee injury caused Dorsett to miss five games that season.
Last season, Dorsett bounced back. He started in all 13 games and collected 36 receptions for 871 yards (24.2 YPC) and 10 touchdowns. During his tenure at Miami, Dorsett also returned kicks and punts. He averaged 19.1 per kick return attempt and 5.4 yard per attempt on punt returns.
He was invited to and participated in the Senior Bowl.
Combine Results
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 185 lbs.
Arm Length: 30 1/4"
Hands: 9 3/8"
40: 4.33 sec. (second among WRs in 2015)
Bench: 13 reps
Vertical Jump: 37 inches
Broad Jump: 122 inches
3 Cone: 6.70 sec. (fourth among WRs in 2015)
Shuttle: 4.11 sec.
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Strengths
Dorsett has ridiculous deep speed and can get behind defenders with ease. He catches the ball cleanly with his hands and is not afraid to leap for the ball. He is deadly in space and has great vision with the ball in his hands. He gets a lot of separation and has extremely quick feet.
Despite his size, he is more than willing to block and go across the middle for a pass. He can take a hit.
Weaknesses
Dorsett has a limited route tree and is not much of a short-yardage receiver. He is small and thin, which doesn't help him much as a blocker. He suffered a knee injury (partial MCL tear) as a junior which may concern some scouts.
Eagles Outlook
If the Eagles are looking for a deep threat, they really can't go wrong with Dorsett. However, the team seems to dig bigger receivers with blocking ability, so that may outweigh the speed element. Dorsett is a big play waiting to happen, which could serve Chip Kelly well. Dorsett is projected for Day 2 and would be a terrific addition to Philadelphia's already-deadly offense.