F.Chowds Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 When Dexter McDougle started his freshman year at Stafford High School, he sought out quarterback Torrey Smith. Smith, now a wide receiver with the Ravens, was a senior, as high up the social order as you could be given his talent and destiny, which was a football scholarship to play at Maryland. "The first thing he said was, ‘Hey Torrey, I'm going to be better than you,'” Smith recalled. Things could've gone south pretty quickly, but Smith actually liked McDougle's confidence, which has a friendly optimism attached to it. That's part of the reason some of the New York Jets players mention the third-round cornerback as one of the most promising rookies despite the fact that he hasn't stepped onto the field for the team yet given a shoulder injury. [+] Enlarge Rich Schultz /Getty ImagesDexter McDougle comes to the Jets with plenty of confidence. Smith -- who became a mentor for that brash newcomer -- thinks that McDougle has a bright future despite missing the last nine games of the season after shoulder surgery that left a c-shaped scar on his back. "It's going to be a learning curve but he's so smart,” Smith said. "Not to knock anybody that [the Jets] have but playing against the team last year and knowing what Dexter is capable of, I think that he'll have a real chance to help the team this year. And being drafted by a guy like Rex Ryan, this guy knows defensive players, so I think that's this is a credit to Dexter that the coach would take a chance on him after they drafted a guy so highly last year.” That guy was Dee Milliner, the ninth overall pick of the 2013 draft, who also arrived with a shoulder injury. Ryan worked hard to keep Milliner from being seen as a replacement for the just-departed Darrelle Revis, but he's not keeping comparisons to himself this time. "[McDougle] won't let you catch a ball in walk-through, which reminds me of someone,” Ryan said. That someone, Ryan later elaborated, is Revis. "But he's really professional about his stuff,” Ryan said. "He knows what he's supposed to do, and again, sometimes when you put him out there, we'll see if some of the pieces fall out. That's what happens. Everybody thinks they know it and then they get out there in an 11-on-11 situation and something is missing. But he is really a sharp young man. And remember his experience now, after he was hurt he came back with the team and helped his guys out, helped his teammates out, but he also helped the coaches out, so maybe he has that perspective as well. But he seems like a very sharp young man and I think we'll all be excited to watch him compete when he finally gets that chance.” Now Ryan has a pair of young corners in the 5-foot-10, 195-pound McDougle and Milliner, at 6-foot and 198 pounds. They may have similar frames, but style-wise McDougle is more aggressive and knows Ryan will get the most out of him. "Rex is a defensive mastermind and uses his corners in multiple ways and I've been in multiple systems. That's why I fit in perfect here,” McDougle said. All of this comes as no surprise to Chad Lewis, who coached both Smith and McDougle at Stafford. There, McDougle played defensive back and wide receiver, and even a little option quarterback. One game, McDougle caught a touchdown pass, had an interception and threw for another touchdown. Lewis remembers how self-assured McDougle was from the start. "That's kind of Dexter's personality,” Lewis said. "It's not cockiness but he believes in himself.” That he can be brash and likeable is an art. But even that senior all the way back in high school found himself smiling when McDougle said he'd be a better player. "That's good,” Smith said. "I want you to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larz Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 just sign your deal rook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFJF Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Like any passionate Jet fan, I have high hopes for the kid. However, don't tell me how impressed you are with a guy who hasn't effing practiced yet. Christ, I know the NFL news is slow, but talking about great a guy looks before he steps on the filed is ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#27TheDominator Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Like any passionate Jet fan, I have high hopes for the kid. However, don't tell me how impressed you are with a guy who hasn't effing practiced yet. Christ, I know the NFL news is slow, but talking about great a guy looks before he steps on the filed is ridiculous. They do it on draft day and we sit and watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RutgersJetFan Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Rex and his rookies. 6 years of this. It's like him, Nuke Laloosh, Villain, and Aidan Mackie cowrote a book of sports Mad Libs and we get to relive it every summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxgreen Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 They really hype up these kids don't they. Everyone is a Pro-Bowler. Yeah, a few weeks ago they were all spread out for taking in the Meat Market..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFJF Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 They do it on draft day and we sit and watch. That's all fine and good. That's what draft day is about. However, when the draft is weeks old, and we've heard everything we can hear about a guy, why write a "new" article about how good he looks, when he hasn't taken part in anything yet? Makes no sense. That being said, I think the kid might be a pretty damn good player if he can stay on the field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgb Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 He is defense Rex will invest the time to make him play better than his draft pick while the offense crashes and burn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patriot Killa Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Mcdougle is the second coming of Revis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larz Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Mcdougle is the second coming of Revis. yup 3rd round pick who hasn't signed even after the overall #1 has signed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TuscanyTile2 Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 McDougle is Revis multiplied by Deion Sanders. GUARANTEED! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T0mShane Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Rex and his rookies. 6 years of this. It's like him, Nuke Laloosh, Villain, and Aidan Mackie cowrote a book of sports Mad Libs and we get to relive it every summer. Oh sh*t Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SenorGato Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 GameofThroooooonneeeeesGameofThrones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundunit Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 GameofThroooooonneeeeesGameofThrones GAMEOFTHRONESGAMEOFTHRONESGAMEOFTHRONESGAMEOFTHRONES!!!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Crusher Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 just sign your deal rook I told Tomshane on the Podcast. "McDugle will be the best value and possibly the best player we picked up in this draft." Kid is a baller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Crusher Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Mcdougle is the second coming of Revis. McDougle is Revis multiplied by Deion Sanders. GUARANTEED! Finally couple guys get it. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klecko73isGod Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Is Rex the first coach ever to say positive things about his rookies? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#27TheDominator Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I told Tomshane on the Podcast. "McDugle will be the best value and possibly the best player we picked up in this draft." Kid is a baller. Stafford Senior High School? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Crusher Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Stafford Senior High School? They still miss him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustInFudge Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Is Rex the first coach ever to say positive things about his rookies? Yes and its a terrible terrible thing to do. It basically results in 2-3 losses a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Has this kid still not signed his contract yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurnleyJet Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Has this kid still not signed his contract yet? +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patriot Killa Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Dex can cover... He is no slot corner. He can play man coverage all day and actually look where the balls going to make a play. Expect him to rise to the occasion and play opposite of Milliner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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