This year's cast of rookie wideouts will be hard-pressed to fill the shoes of last year's outrageous class, but a pair of first-year pass-catchers are off to a good start.
With a flock of starters sitting out Sunday's Eagles-Colts tilt, Indy's Phillip Dorsett and Philly's Nelson Agholor made an instant impact in their first taste of NFL game action.
Dorsett was on the field from the start for the Colts, hauling in four passes for 51 yards and showing the quick-cut ability and field speed that have drawn rave reviews since early summer.
The No. 29 overall pick showed immediate ability to get open on his routes, catching Andrew Luck's first two passes for a combined 13 yards. On Dorsett's second drive, the former Miami star found a hole in the secondary to haul in this 18-yarder from Luck, who looked for him repeatedly and showed good chemistry with the rookie:
Dorsett could have fought harder to stay in bounds on a subsequent route down the sideline that saw him pull down a pretty over-the-shoulder ball from Matt Hasselbeck out of bounds. He could have protected the ball better after seeing a 20-yard catch stripped by Eagles rookie safety Eric Rowe. Still, Dorsett beat Rowe on that catch and his 4.33 speed translates to the field, with the rookie piling up 50-plus yards in just over a quarter of play.
Agholor mixed in with the ones and generated 57 yards off three catches. Despite a pair of uncharacteristic drops, Philly's first-rounder turned two grabs into first downs and a third into points, using his 4.42 wheels and after-the-catch magic. Despite an up-and-down camp, Agholor resembled a seasoned veteran high-pointing a lob from Mark Sanchez before zooming past multiple Colts defenders to pay dirt:
Both players benefit from the systems they play in. Dorsett is being groomed inside a pass-happy attack that views him as a second coming of DeSean Jackson, with NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport telling our podcast that Colts officials "think they added a superstar."
Agholor on Sunday looked like an impact player inside a Chip Kelly scheme that historically helps receivers to big seasons and led the NFL two years ago with 80 plays of 20-plus yards. With Agholor seeing plenty of first-team reps in practice -- and in Sunday's game -- we expect him and Dorsett to make plays right away come September.
