As the New York Jets prepare for the 2019 preseason, fans should be on the lookout for a promising rookie pass-catcher in the coming weeks.
At the conclusion of the 2019 NFL Draft, every team shifts their focus to acquiring undrafted free agents, hoping to find the next diamond in the rough. Wide receiver Greg Dortch could be one of these for the New York Jets, and fans may enjoy watching him play this preseason.
During his time at Wake Forest during the 2017 and 2018 NCAA Football seasons, Pro Football Focus gave Dortch an 84.9 overall grade,19th overall in the ACC during this time period. Dortch was called “the most electric playmaker thus far in the Dave Clawson era.”
In his two years at Wake Forest, Dortch amassed an impressive 1,800 receiving yards on 142 catches, while adding another 438 kick and punt return yards. He accounted for 19 total touchdowns in two seasons, including four in a single game as a redshirt freshman against Louisville.”
Listed as 5’7 and 173lbs, one may infer that the odds are stacked against the 21 year old Dortch due to being an undersized Wide Receiver. If given the opportunity however, he can continue the boon as a kick returner that Jets fans had come to enjoy in 2018 with Pro Bowl Kick Returner Andre Roberts.
If discussion on social media can be any indication, Dortch is garnering positive reviews thus far in training camp. Videos that have surfaced during camp have shown Dortch’s good hands and his explosiveness as a potential kick returner.
Though many expect Dortch’s only opportunity on the team to be able to come as a Kick Returner, an opening could have arisen on July 29th with a possible foot injury to newest Jets Wide Receiver Jamison Crowder.
Regardless of whether the Crowder injury is serious, Dortch will certainly get an opportunity to prove himself this preseason, and could certainly be a favorite amongst Jets fans for at least four weeks this summer.