Getting To Know McDougle: A Q&A With Testudo Times

When the Jets selected McDougle, I was a little stumped. It wasn't expected with the corners still on the board and I hadn't seen a great deal of him in college (two games throughout his career), so I had to have a wait and see because I needed to do some more reading. However it's always easier to get to know the players when you have a network like the one we do here on SB Nation:

Q- We run a very physical style of defense, how good is Dexter when asked to play press coverage?

PV: McDougle's best traits come on the physical side -- he's a very strong corner for a guy his size, and while his pressing ability was not great in his time with Maryland he has the physical tools to learn and grow in that kind of coverage set.

Q- Where did he line up mostly at Maryland, was it inside or out? where do you think he projects to in the NFL?

PV: McDougle mostly lined up on the outside at Maryland, but that's largely due to how much better he was in coverage than every other corner at the school. I think because of his size constraints (and his aforementioned strength), he projects better as a nickel (at least for now), but he has the leaping ability to play on the boundary and match up with taller receivers. For starters, however, he'll almost certainly play a role on special teams -- he returned kicks and punts at various times at Maryland, and is an excellent tackler in space.

Q- If you had to list his three main strengths, what would they be?

PV: Tackling ability, speed and leaping ability. He also is a big-time playmaker, and is a threat to take it to the house whenever he gets his hands on the ball.

Q- Same question, but this time with his weaknesses?

PV: Coverage on deep balls, size and press.

Q- He had a bad shoulder injury last year, has he had many other injuries while in college?

PV: That was it -- he had started the previous 26 games in a row and played in 11 games as a freshman.

Q- What kind of a person is Dexter? Is he a film room guy? how do you think his personality fits with New York?

PV: McDougle is a fantastic kid -- when he went down with his injury, Maryland fans felt a big shot to the gut. He was undoubtedly the leader of the defense as well as being one of the most talented players in the roster. He's dedicated to his field and spends an inordinate amount of time working on it, and he's a great fit for any NFL locker room that wants to win.

Make sure you head over to Testudo Times to check out more of their work on Dexter:

So you drafted Dexter McDougle

Dexter McDougle selected by the Jets

s