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Skinny: At 6’2, 200 pounds, Dowling has a phenomenal blend of size, speed and coverage capability. He stated that the reasons for returning to Virginia for his senior year was to hone his craft, which includes improving his tackling, reaction time and leadership skills. If he achieves those goals look for Dowling to earn sure-fire first round status.

SCOUT'S TAKE

The first thing that jumps out at you about the Chesapeake, Virginia native is his size; the man is big for a cornerback. Standing at 6’ 2” and around 200 pounds Dowling has the size, length, strength and muscle to line up against the NFL’s super-sized receivers and believe, “I can lay an effective jam on this guy.” While he has great size and short-area abilities, his long speed is not elite. Because of that, Dowling’s post-season workouts (Senior Bowl, NFL Scouting Combine and Virginia pro day) will go a long way to determining how NFL teams perceive him. While Dowling is a willing and occasionally nasty tackler, his fundamentals can be sloppy; he needs to keep his head up at all times, his backpedal needs work, and he wastes motion in his breaks. With NFL teams starting to prefer big-sized cornerbacks, Dowling might see his stock skyrocket if he has a superior senior season. Even though he starts the season as our fourth rated cornerback behind fellow-senior Prince Amukamara, as well as juniors Patrick Peterson and Aaron Williams, the ACC product is not that far off. Dowling has the potential to be one of the top-two cornerbacks selected next April, and could easily be a top-15 selection.

NEWS

08/29/10 - Swagger comes standard for most modern corners, especially elite ones. It's their defense against the risk of humiliation they face on nearly every play. Get beat, as even the best inevitably will, and everyone in the stadium will see. Dowling, though, "doesn't like the hype," said his father, Larry. He displays no bravado and seems to have zero interest in the trappings of stardom. Asked about his decision to pass on the NFL draft and return for his senior year, Dowling said he wanted to be the first in his family to graduate from college. He's on schedule to finish in December, in 3-1/2 years, with a degree in sociology. The money he'd left on the table wasn't important, Dowling continued. He had grown up happy and loved without riches, so he could easily wait another year. "Money is not going to make you happy," he said. "Money just buys things. It's temporary. Love is forever." Dowling's won far more battles than he has lost since his debut. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, his blend of size, speed and ability to change directions make him a rare find at corner. Those tools, more than any eye-catching statistics, are projected to make him a first-round pick in the 2011 NFL draft. – Hampton Roads