NFL Draft: Despite poor combine, Jachai Polite still a first-round talent

After posting big numbers in his final season for the Florida Gators, Jachai Polite has endured a difficult pre-NFL Draft process. His draft stock has plummeted, but that doesn’t mean Polite still isn’t a first-round talent.

Example number one in the manual of how not to ace the pre-draft process will undoubtedly contain Jachai Polite’s nightmare performance. His stumbles were so difficult to watch that For The Win described Polite’s combine performance as possibly the worst of all time. You read that right: the worst of all time.

The Florida edge rusher arrived at the combine with concerns about his undersized frame, but most scouts thought his athleticism would overcome the size concern. Contrarily, Polite’s projected strength turned out to be one of his weaknesses as his performance in the workouts slumped to the back of the pack at his position: second slowest 40-yard dash time and fourth worst vertical.

Contributing to his lack of explosiveness was the extra weight he added in an effort bulk up before the combine, and more importantly, he apparently re-injured an ailing hamstring during the drills.

Believe it or not, his performance in the drills was not his worst performance, however. Polite royally bombed the interview process and then blamed the teams for focusing on his weaknesses – “They just bashed me the whole time.” – when talking to reporters. He even admitted to not watching himself on film.

Not a great day, indeed.

To make matters worse, instead of erasing concerns at Florida’s pro day, Polite ran an even slower 40-time only adding to the negative narrative – though Polite said his hamstring was still factoring into his slow times. At least Polite took responsibility for his poor performance at the combine during pro day interviews: “I just wasn’t ready at all. I wasn’t ready mentally, to be honest. It was more intimidating, for sure. And I took the criticism too personally. I took it the wrong way.”

Polite’s disappointing performance on and off the field has led to a precipitous drop in his draft stock, but thanks to mounds of positive tape from last season, Polite is sure to continue to garner interest from NFL teams.

Strengths

Here’s a riddle for you: How can Polite still boast athleticism as a strength after failing to impress at the combine? The answer: Just watch the tape.

Dan Mullen said that a few players he’s coached had similar athletic abilities, but none had “the pure quickness” Polite possesses. Mullen also praised Polite’s bend and burst and compared him to NFL legend Dwight Freeney.

Former Gator great and the Gators’ record holder for career sacks and sacks in a single season, Alex Brown, said during the 2018 season that Polite “can drop into coverage, he’s athletic enough to run with a running back and he can bend the edge, get low and still be full speed. That’s hard to teach.” But Brown also predicted – correctly – that NFL teams would nitpick his speed.

Chalk his poor combine performance up to nerves or the injured hamstring, not a lack of athletic ability. Polite is an athletic freak who proved his prowess at the highest levels of college football.

Weaknesses

Before his breakout season in 2018, Polite was a sparingly used edge rusher. Polite missed the majority of the 2017 season due to injury and only recorded four sacks in his first two seasons.

That being said, Polite runs a little short on experience having only started for one full season. Some scouts have described him as raw or unpolished and in need of molding to reach his full potential as a pass rusher.

Polite must improve on his technique to unlock the next dimension of his game and overcome another weakness – his lack of size. Polite must also prove he can maintain his explosiveness while packing on the pounds to better compete at the next level.

Thankfully for Polite, most NFL teams expect their rookies to need growth in technique, experience and body mass.

Draft Expectations

Polite’s combine performance left a bad taste in the mouth of many NFL teams. No doubt, Polite will be disappointed with how far he falls on draft day after being projected as a possible top-ten pick.

Though Polite is no longer a likely first-rounder, some like NFL analyst Chris Collinsworth still have faith in his upside. Of Polite, Collinsworth noted that, “(t)his is a guy that can rush the passer from a lot of different positions. If he somehow slips to the second round, he is going to be a big-time steal.”

Eventually, teams will value his game performances from the 2018 season over his poor combine result and recognize that Polite has elite potential and upside.

Projection: Second or third round selection.