Overview
Position: Edge defender
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 258 pounds
School: Florida Gators
Combine Performance Data
40-yard Dash: 4.84 seconds (1.71 10-yard split)
Vertical Jump: 32 inches
Jachai Polite 2019 NFL Draft Profile
The 2019 NFL Draft class features one of the most talented group of edge rushers in quite some time and one of the prospects near the top of the list is Jachai Polite. Polite was born and raised in Daytona Beach, FL and eventually went to Mainland High School. Polite played both basketball and football and despite his love for basketball, he learned his skillset was best used for chasing quarterbacks. Polite had a phenomenal junior year recording 81 tackles, 13 sacks and two forced fumbles on the way to being named second team all-state. His senior year was derailed by injuries as the defensive lineman recorded only 10 tackles and four sacks in 2015.
247Sports ranked Polite as a three-star prospect and at the end of his senior season, he committed to play football at the University of Florida. Polite was close to 280 pounds his freshman year and the Gators predominantly used him as a 3-technique in their defense. He recorded 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in 2016 as a reserve defensive tackle. By his sophomore season, Polite was asked to play more defensive end in the Gators defense but his season was cut short due to a shoulder injury. He finished with 22 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in only seven games.
The Gators transitioned to a 3-4 defense and Polite was able to make the position change to full-time edge rusher after a long off-season of leaning down. He dropped about 20 pounds before his junior year and even cut out all candy from his diet committing himself to getting faster. Polite went on to record 45 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and led the FBS with six forced fumbles. He was named first-team All-SEC and second team all-American. Shortly after his junior year, Polite declared for the NFL Draft.
Strengths
- great size and length to play edge in 3-4 or 4-3 defensive fronts;
- has an elite get off, beating tackles with speed rush over and over again;
- has a full arsenal of moves, sets up counter moves well;
- athleticism and speed allowed him to make plenty of chase down tackles from behind;
- possesses a very good spin move;
- possesses a surprisingly strong bull rush;
- still has room to grow as an edge, only two years at the position (converted defensive tackle);
- has a knack for strip sacks on quarterbacks;
- an elite bender – drops the hips and turns the corner with ease;
- maintains outside contain very well in run plays;
- proved to be athletic enough to spy scrambling quarterbacks at the college level;
Weaknesses
- struggles to disengage from blockers;
- does get pushed around at times on run blocks;
- very raw talent, lack of experience at the edge position;
- did not interview particularly well at the NFL Combine;
- drag down tackler – tackles very high at times;
- does not handle pulling guards that well;
- shed weight to gain explosiveness but lost a lot of strength in the process;
NFL Comparison: Dee Ford
Teams With Need at Position: Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders.
Projection: Late first round or early second round
Bottom Line
Before the NFL Combine, many scouts and analysts regarded Polite as a sure-fire first round pick. But after some bad interviews and a lackluster on-field performance before his hamstring injury, analysts say he’s plummeting down teams’ draft boards. Some teams still will drool at his freakish athletic ability and take a chance on the Florida edge rusher. Polite is still very raw and will be viewed as a project pass rusher year one. But with the right team and right leaders around him, he should be an elite pass rusher by year two or three in the NFL.
