× Colts’ Phillip Dorsett: ‘Don’t believe anything’ leading up to NFL Draft

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The media and an anxious fan base weren’t the only ones surprised when the Indianapolis Colts used their first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft on Phillip Dorsett.

So was the swift receiver out of the University of Miami.

“I had no clue I was going to end up here. None,’’ Dorsett said Tuesday afternoon.

He had a formal interview with the Colts at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, but that was it. No visit to Indy. No contact from general manager Ryan Grigson or coach Chuck Pagano or then-offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton to let him know they at least knew he existed.

“Nothing,’’ Dorsett said.

When it came time to invest the 29th overall pick, the Colts stunned virtually everyone – Dorsett included – by ignoring other areas of need and adding a receiver with game-breaking speed. He was beyond surprised as he heard his named called by commissioner Roger Goodell, then shared a phone conversation with owner Jim Irsay, Grigson and Pagano.

“Yeah, pretty much,’’ Dorsett said with a smile.

That’s a shining example of the subterfuge, mystery and utter misinformation that floods social media in the days leading up to this week’s draft. Round 1 is Thursday night – the Colts hold the 18th overall pick – while rounds 2-3 are Friday night and rounds 4-7 Saturday.

Check various draft-related websites and you’ll notice how the Colts had one of their dozen or so college scouts at this player’s workout, a position coach at that player’s Pro Day and Pagano or Grigson at Ohio State, LSU, Alabama or some other talent-rich school.

Check out Walterfootball.com, and you’ll see a list of nearly 50 players who have been linked to the Colts.

What to believe? Who to believe?

“Don’t believe anything,’’ Dorsett said.

David Parry had even less contact with the Colts than Dorsett. No meeting at the combine. No visit. No area scout checking in with the Stanford defensive tackle.

“Zero. None,’’ Parry said. “I had zero contact with the Colts.’’

So it was a surprise when they selected him in the fifth round of last year’s draft. Parry was a wise choice. He was one of five defensive rookies to start all 16 games.

“It was out of the blue,’’ Parry said, “but I was happy when I got that Indianapolis call.’’

When the Colts snatched Ohio State guard Jack Mewhort in the second round of the 2014 draft, he at least had some inclination Indy might be his first NFL home. He had a formal interview with the team at the combine and met with them at his Pro Day in Columbus. However, there was no pre-draft visit.

It was while Mewhort was training at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. in the weeks leading up to the draft that he was informed to expect the unexpected.

The messenger? Colts offensive tackle and soon-to-be teammate Anthony Castonzo.

“He was talking to the draft class and told everybody it didn’t matter who you talked to or how many times you talked with them,’’ Mewhort said. “He told us about the Colts not talking to him that much.’’

That was in the weeks leading up to the 2011 draft, which turned out to be the last directed by long-time executive Bill Polian. The Colts would take Castonzo with the 22nd overall selection, but few saw it coming, including Castonzo.

“I was shocked actually when they picked me,’’ he said.

Castonzo met with the Colts at the combine, but it involved lower-level folks.

“None of the front office,’’ he said. “It was all the scouts. I never met Mr. Polian.’’

There was no pre-draft visit to Indianapolis; again, no pre-draft suggestion Castonzo was on the Colts’ radar.

“If you would have asked me before the draft the top 15 teams I thought were going to draft me, they would not have been in there,’’ he said. “It’s fascinating. The teams that did bring me in for a visit or put me through workouts didn’t pick me, and these were teams that drafted before the Colts and passed on me.

“The teams I thought were interested weren’t, and the team that didn’t show much interest picked me. I’m sure a lot of it is they didn’t want to show their hand.’’

The Colts clearly were swayed by Castonzo’s body of work at Boston College.

“Football is a beautiful thing where your resume is on the film,’’ he said. “Most teams know what they want. I think the (pre-draft) meetings are kind of to figure out that little bit of character. Aside from that, your resume is on film.’’

Mewhort smiled when he considered the noise that precedes the draft, including the wave of mock drafts that project who’s going where, and when.

“It’s crazy,’’ he said. “It’s a circus and you’d drive yourself crazy if you tried to figure it out ahead of time. It’s big business. It’s very serious. Some teams may not want to show their cards, and I understand that.

“In every building, there’s only a few guys who really know exactly what’s going on. Those are guys making decisions who are way bigger than me and are very good at their job. I’ll leave that to them. I’m a grunt.’’