DKphin
Club Member
[video=youtube;6m1PJtb-flM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m1PJtb-flM[/video]
143.S Jonathan Dowling, Western Kentucky 6'3" 190
143.S Jonathan Dowling, Western Kentucky 6'3" 190
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=106937&draftyear=2014&genpos=FS12/21/13 - 2013 ALL-SUN BELT FIRST TEAM (COACHES/MEDIA): Jonathan Dowling (WKU, Jr., DB),...Jonathan Dowling and Cam Thomas helped the Hilltoppers to the No. 10 ranked passing efficiency defense nationally while Thomas led the SBC in passes defended with 15 (10 breakups, five interceptions). - Western Kentucky football
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/profiles/jonathan-dowling?id=2543685Strengths
Has a rangy frame with room for added bulk. Excellent height and long arms to contend in the air and play the pocket. Good hands to snatch interceptions. Nice linear fluidity. Covers ground with long strides -- rangy off the hash to get over the top. Flashes striking ability when his shoulder blows connect. Playmaking ability -- 9 INTs and 8 FFs in last two seasons. Has special-teams experience covering kicks.
Weaknesses
High-cut and lanky for a safety -- durability could be an issue and he needs to add body armor. Gets bullied in the box. Average eyes and instincts. Takes some inaccurate angles. Shoddy tackler with poor fundamentals -- hits too high, ankle-bites low or launches himself and whiffs. Talks too much and shows off-putting body language. Questionable mental toughness. Thinks he’s better than he is. Character, maturity and coachability should be looked into.
Draft Projection
Rounds 4-5
Bottom Line
Lean, long-levered, smooth-muscled, finesse free safety with speed and range, though he's more interested in hitting than securing tackles. He does not provide dependability desired on the back end.
http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2014/...d-steals-jonathan-dowling-fs-western-kentuckyIf you look on CBS right now, they have Dowling listed as a 7th-UDFA prospect. This is almost a criminally low ranking, and it really all stems from his time at Florida. Dowling has just about every physical trait you could want in a FS. Great size, fast, strong, makes good reads, ball hawk, and a play maker. He's a good tackler, but needs to work on wrapping up more often instead of always looking for the big hit. He has some character concerns. At Florida, he would skip practices as a freshman, and Urban Meyer sent a message to the team by kicking Dowling off the squad. He sat out the 2011 season before coming on to be an absolute star for WKU. His most impressive games seem to come against the SEC: 3 picks, 3 break ups, 28 tackles, 1 FF (4 games).
I saw his games against Kentucky and Central Michigan in 2012 and against Kentucky and Navy in 2013. I came away pretty impressed. Wish I could have seen what he can do with some talent around him.
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