The New York Jets raised eyebrows this offseason by making almost no effort to talk to prodigal cornerback Darrelle Revis following his release from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Even more heads turned when they let Antonio Cromartie leave via free agency.
While the spotlight will turn to second-year corner Dee Milliner to build off a solid final few weeks in 2013, a third-round pick is taking Jets camp by storm. Speedy cornerback Dexter McDougle has impressed Jets coach Rex Ryan a great deal already, and Gang Green is just kicking off OTA's.
"It's going to be a learning curve but he's so smart," Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith, a former high school teammate of McDougle 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."
The former Maryland Terrapin had three interceptions last season and returned one for a touchdown-the Jets are hoping he can translate that playmaking to the pro level, and make up for the turnover havoc that Cromartie was capable of wreaking. He's also wildly competitive according to Rex Ryan, who then hinted at a comparison that Jets fans will salivate over.
"[McDougle] won't let you catch a ball in walk-through, which reminds me of someone," Ryan said. He meant Revis, the man who joined the Jets' mortal enemies the New England Patriots. "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."
McDougle's not short on confidence either, which means he'll fit in just perfectly with Rex's Jets. "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.
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