2011 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Ras-I Dowling, Virginia

Ras-I Dowling- CB- Virginia

6-2 200lbs Junior

Stats:

2007- 2 INTS, 44 tackles, 8 pass breakups

2008- 3 INTS, 43 tackles, 11 pass breakups

2009- 3 INTS, 58 tackles, 8 pass breakups

Pros:

At 6-2 200lbs Dowling possess excellent size for the cornerback position.  He couples his size with a physical playing style which opens a lot of doors.  His physical style allows Dowling to play press coverage and has some scouting thinking he might be versatile enough to also play safety.  What makes Dowling special is his speed and quick reactions to routes.  He has excellent short range speed which allows him to get to the ball before receivers.  His coverage skills are further improved by his instincts which translate into interceptions and pass break ups.

Cons:

Dowling should spend time working on getting in and out of his backpedal faster.  He has a tendency to stick in his backpedal to long and when he does transition he stands straight up.  This is something that with more practice and game reps he should improve.  Due to Dowling’s physical and mental tools some scouts feel he should rarely be beaten.  However, due to breaks in concentration receivers sometimes find themselves wide open.

Thoughts:

With the NFL continuing to move to a pass happy league the cornerback position is gaining more and more value.  Dowling has the ability to be a shutdown corner in the NFL.  He currently sits at #23 on our 2011 Big Board.

Projected Round:

With the added value on cornerbacks you could see Dowling slip into the top 15 of next year’s draft.