Greg Dortch wants to prove to the Arizona Cardinals that he deserves a spot in the team’s extremely deep wide receivers room.
As the Arizona Cardinals make final preparations for their upcoming training camp, even the franchise’s most optimistic fans must admit that the team has weaknesses.
It would be difficult to deny that Arizona could use some help at cornerback. A run-stuffing defensive tackle would also make coordinator Vance Joseph’s life much easier. There’s even a chance that the Redbirds could have a pronounced deficiency at the center position if veteran Rodney Hudson retires.
There is one area of the Cards roster, however, that does not need any assistance. The club’s wide receivers group, led by the great DeAndre Hopkins, is undoubtedly a strength.
One individual who is well aware of the Cardinals’ impressive depth at wideout is Greg Dortch, a third-year pro who’ll be competing for a gig this summer. The 24-year-old is an intriguing player, but will the overabundance of talented receivers prevent Dortch from securing a job in the desert?
A job with the 2022 Arizona Cardinals will not come easy for Greg Dortch
One thing that could potentially work in Dortch’s favor is the fact that Hopkins will miss the first six games of the 2022 campaign. The 30-year-old will serve a suspension after testing positive for PEDs and is not eligible to return until Arizona takes on the New Orleans Saints in week 7.
To help offset the Hopkins situation, general manager Steve Keim orchestrated a draft-day trade for a top-notch pass-catcher. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown is not entirely on the level of Hopkins, but his familiarity with former college teammate Kyler Murray could certainly benefit the Cards’ scoring attack.
The Cardinals retained seven-time Pro Bowler A.J. Green after averaging 15.7 yards per reception for the Cardinals last season. Second-year speedster Rondale Moore is expected to take a big step forward this coming fall. Antoine Wesley, a Kliff Kingsbury favorite from Texas Tech University, played well last year when Hopkins was injured.
The main competition for Dortch appears to be Andy Isabella, Arizona’s second-round choice from the 2019 draft. For some odd reason, the 25-year-old has failed to thrive in an “Air Raid” offense that many believed would be a perfect fit for Isabella’s skill-set.
Dortch’s entire NFL career consists of just three catches for 15 yards. Actually, the former Wake Forest University product has more rushing yards than receiving yards at the professional level.
Last January, Dortch took a handoff from Murray and galloped 24 yards around the right end during the Cards’ 25-22 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
The 5 foot 7, 173-pound Dortch is a likable kid you cannot help but root for. However, only time will tell if the Virginia native will succeed in carving his spot out on the extremely deep receiving corps that the Cardinals front office has put together.