NFL Draft Prospects 2019: Edge Rusher - Jachai Polite, Florida
Jachai Polite came out of nowhere in 2018, emerging as one of the most dynamic edge-rushing threats in the nation. Polite was an all-state selection from Daytona Beach who couldn’t really find the field until last season.
Despite actually starting just five of 13 games, he was a second-team All-American with 17.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and a nation-leading six forced fumbles.
Polite goes through one shoulder and forces blockers to adjust in the run game quickly. He has the type of strike in his hands to put offensive linemen on their backs and push around tight-ends on the edge.
Polite crosses the face of his blocker when the opportunity arises to make a play in the backfield and he doesn’t mind crashing through the inside shoulder of a pulling guard to start a pile in the backfield either.
Of his 28 solo tackles, 23 went for three yards or less. The pursuit away from the ball is top-notch and he missed just four tackles all year long. If you need numbers to back him up in that area of his game – he had a top-ten run-stop percentage among all edge defenders last year.
The Florida edge defender rushes the passer with speed and a wiggle. He can flat-out beat tackles running the arc, work in hesitation moves to win the inside path or even come back out after nodding in.
He and Florida State’s Brian Burns have the best sudden dip of the shoulder in this draft class and Polite also turns his chest completely the opposite way of the blocker while his feet are still aimed towards the QB.
What is remarkable about him on tape is the flexibility of his ankles to change angles. He rips that inside arm right through the armpit of the offensive tackle, plus he shows a devastating spin-move that will leave blockers turning and spinning themselves.
Polite has the ability to change directions and put a hit on the quarterback stepping up or trying to escape the pocket, while also showing a nice jump inside at the top of his rush once he has the tackle convinced it’s time to flip his hips.
He won 18 percent of his pass rush snaps last season and earned an elite grade in that area by Pro Football Focus. He has a feel for knocking the ball out and swipes from behind to strip the quarterback.
However, Polite tries to get around his blocker at the point of attack too often and allows space to run through underneath him. His take-on technique in the run game definitely needs some work, as he gets caught up with the guy in front of him at times and gives up his contain responsibilities.
The former Gator gets taken off his track too easily and is forced to run extremely wide. He dances around in front of his man in some pass rush situations when he doesn’t get a good jump on his blocker and needs to do a better job using that sealing arm to complete his spin move.
Polite was considered somewhat of a one-year wonder and had to sit out the opening series of the team’s first game last year after “failing to meet the Gator standard”. He also threw off some scouts with a poor combine performance, which included a 4.84 in the 40. Looking at his measurements, he doesn’t quite have the length or weight you want to see on the edge.
It depends on where you see Polite lining up at. Either he needs to add some weight to be a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end or show that he can drop into a coverage at least to some degree.
If he stays in that two-point stance he has to eliminate that false-step, where he slightly kicks backwards, just like coaches do with some wide receivers. Personally, I think his frame limits him to a 3-4 outside backer on base downs, but I think Polite could be a double-digit sack specialist for years with enough toughness and aggression to defend the run early on.
Grade: Mid-First