Jets end Jachai Polite's tumble early in Round 3

The New York Jets selected pass-rusher Jachai Polite out of Florida in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 68th overall.

Polite had first-round talent but tumbled down the draft board thanks to a disastrous combine during which he admitted he had never studied tape of himself. Polite then injured himself at Florida's pro day, adding to the concerns about his physical readiness.

He spent three years at Florida, racking up 15 sacks, including 11 last year. He had 19.5 tackles for loss and six forced fumbles in 2018, putting him on draft radars after less impactful freshman and sophomore campaigns.

Prospect profile

School: Florida
Height: 6-3
Weight: 258 lbs

Strengths

• Excellent get-off for immediate advantageous position
• Uses speed, bend, and flexibility to run the arc and flatten to the quarterback
• Hand usage and dip move make it difficult for tacklers to get hands on him
• Counters outside move with impressive inside spin
• Maintains balance through contact to continue on rush path
• Quickness to work through traffic, make plays in the running game
• High-effort player, makes tackles all over the field

Weaknesses

• Athletic testing scores don't match tape
• Doesn't convert speed into power rushes
• Needs to improve strength to contribute as NFL-level run defender
• Rumblings of poor combine interviews impacting draft stock

Bottom line

Polite is one of the more difficult evaluations in the class; unfortunately, he hasn't done much to back up his play at Florida. After some extremely underwhelming combine numbers and reports of poor interviews with teams, his stock appears to be falling. But all we can do is go by what we see, and there's too much good tape to ignore. Polite's ability to win around the edge and counter back inside with a lethal spin move will give offensive tackles nightmares. He could well end up the steal of the draft if he slides deep into Day 2 or beyond.