The Football Brainiacs

Makes perfect sense why OU would offer this guy. He has wheels which will be great for man coverage. I’ll start out with his positives. Like I said this guy has speed. He runs effortlessly when guarding WR’s. His speed allows him to feel his guy and track the ball which he does well. Countless times he high points ball either to deflect or intercept. He’s an athlete. I see him being a nickel corner at the next level. He has fluid hips and can stop on a dime to break up underneath routes. His film shows a lot of press but he bails. I saw many times him keeping his eyes on the QB when bailing out. This seems to be the only negative I can take from the film. He was never exposed considering it being a highlight tape but at the next level he will have to keep his eye on his man so he won’t be susceptible to double moves. I think he fits perfect in OU’s defensive scheme as I stated earlier. His athleticism will match many Big 12 receivers. His size is questionable but his heart and technique will ultimately determine his ceiling.

Grade: 3.5

There is no question Juwan is a cover corner. He has rubber bands for hips. He is explosive in every direction and in my estimation he is more fluid than both Trai Mosley and Tito Windham who are both DBs I love. Juwan has top end speed to stay in phase but that’s not enough because a DB isn’t dealing with straight go routes all game. What he really does well and something I’m sure OU fans can appreciate is backing out without a heavy cushion (though he’s off too much in some cases), mirroring the initial break within 5-8 yards and then turning and running on the go. He’s just a step quicker than other athletes I’ve seen. Like Trai and Tito though Dowels is a smaller corner standing at around 5’9. But he adjusts well to the ball and times it well. He can also get up. So he has the qualities you want to at least mitigate the height deficiency. I love his feet. He runs light but he is light. Here’s the simple reality: ball in south Florida is on another level. American Heritage put’s out a ton of D1 talent. And Broward county where Dowels plays is just up the road from Dade county – that region is full of incredible athletes and Juwan is no exception. This may surprise some but I’ll go out on a limb for Juwan and say he is a can’t miss cover corner. Is he a shut down corner? I can’t be certain yet. A lot of that is going to depend on how big and physical he becomes but the closing speed and recognition is certainly there. Dowels agility and instincts in coverage are just too good. As a man who loved Tito Windham this is hard for me but given his fluidity I’ve got to give Dowels a slight edge over Tito just because I am so certain about his cover ability. He isn’t as well rounded as Tito is at the moment but I really just can’t get over how effective he could potentially be in coverage. He looks like a kid who would end up being next to impossible for a QB to find space on. And the simple truth is he plays in an area of the country where it’s hard enough to start on a team let alone stand out in any meaningful way.

Grade: 4.2

Grade: 3.6

Cover cover WR in trouble. Has good speed to keep up with receivers down field and keeps him in position to make the big plays. His hips look fluid which makes him hard to beat. He changes direction with ease and you’ll see the receiver having trouble losing Juwan with his route. Hips are very important for a DB to cover. You dont want to be stiff out there. A couple times he came up and made tackles but I didn’t see enough to convince me he could hold up in the run at this point so the jury is out on that. He could also help with special teams after seeing his ability to return interceptions. A few times he didn’t catch the ball clean and had a couple of drops. It’s not that important for a DB to have great hands but it’s definitely an added plus. OU will mold this young man into an elite DB if he is willing to put in the work. The athletic talent is there… It just needs fine tuning and OU will have themselves a Ferrari.

Grade: 4.1