ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals have amplified their receiving corps massively in the last 12 months, though Greg Dortch finds himself with a unique opportunity.
The Cardinals’ slot receiver isn’t the biggest – at least in terms of stature (5-7) or status thanks to names such as Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Zay Jones in the same room as him.
Yet Dortch has often produced when called upon, and that’s why he was named the team’s most underrated player by Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr:
“’A guy you don’t hear a whole lot about, but all he does is make catches,’ is what Troy Aikman once said on television about Dortch, a 5’7″, 175-pound wideout now entering his fifth season. Dortch had just 41 targets last year, but logged nearly 12 yards per catch and 6.3 yards after catch per reception. Dortch has made some standout plays over the past two seasons, with a subpar quarterback situation around him—including a toe touch sideline grab from Trace McSorley—and had a two-game stretch soon after Kyler Murray’s return in which he was targeted 17 times,” wrote Orr.
“A potential comfort blanket in this new evolved Cardinals offense, Dortch is tough, has great finesse and should work himself into the running game as well with his punt and kickoff return speed.”
Dortch has been stuck behind Rondale Moore for the last two seasons in the slot, but has often thrived when his number was called.
His recent performances in 2023 saw Dortch catching all seven targets for 82 yards in an upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles – establishing a season high in yards and catches in the same game.
2022 saw some monster performances while Moore was out due to injury, as Dortch had four games where he caught seven or more passes – three of those performances went for over 80 yards with 103 being his season-high.
Dortch creates significant separation out of the slot and typically wins his routes more times than not.
Quarterback Kyler Murray offered some mighty praise for Dortch earlier this offseason:
“I feel like Dortch is unguardable. One-on-one, knowing where to be in the zones, he’s got the nuance and savvy in him that you want in a receiver, and not everyone has that,” Murray said.
“It’s not very common. If he were 6-3 he’d have been a top-five pick. That’s what I think, because that’s the type of football player he is.”
It will be interesting to see how Dortch ultimately settles in to the Cardinals’ depth chart with the arrival of Jones, who can also play in the slot.
However the cookie crumbles on that end, Dortch is undoubtedly one of the more underrated players on the roster, if not No. 1.
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Publish date : 2024-07-09 14:40:11
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