With their first pick of Day 2, the New York Jets selected Jachai Polite out of the University of Florida.
Polite was considered one of the best edge rushers in this class but fell due to his poor testing at the Combine. There are character concerns, but there is no doubt that the talent is there and it shows on film.
Let’s get to know the Jets newest edge rusher.
Huge Question Mark
Jachai Polite could flat-out get after the quarterback as a Florida Gator but struggled to separate himself during the pre-draft process.
Polite’s weight gain, poor testing and disappointing interview performances seem to have confirmed the concerns of many NFL teams and caused him to fall to the Jets in Round 3.
The Jets brought him in for a top-30 visit and seemed comfortable enough to spend a third-round pick on him. For his sake, Polite is going to need to show up to camp in good shape.
Pass Rusher of the Future
Jachai Polite had 49 tackles, 19.5 tackles for a loss and 11 sacks for Florida last season.
He is a 3-4 outside linebacker and can either put his hand in the dirt or line up on the edge and be a bull rusher. The Jets hope they got their pass-rusher of the future with this pick and he seems like he will fit with what Gregg Williams wants to do on defense.
His Twitter Handle
Jachai Polite’s Twitter handle is “@RetireMoms.” The handle speaks to why he plays the game of Football.
Getting Polite motivated to play shouldn’t be an issue; the Jets just need to worry about his weight. While there are some reasons for concern, New York can count on Polite’s mother serving as an inspiration.
Polite and Big Cat
Jachai Polite attended the same high school as current Jet Leonard Williams.
Both of them attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida. Polite is the second Jets selection of the 2019 NFL draft and both him and Quinnen Williams have connections to Leonard Williams.
The Jets keeping the elder Williams makes a lot more sense now as he will be able to help bring along two players on the defensive line that are familiar with him.
Jets Defense has Gainsville Roots
The addition of Jachai Polite means the Jets now have three Florida Gators on the defensive side of the ball.
Polite comes to a team that already has Marcus Maye and Brian Poole on the defensive side of the ball.
Maye and Polite were teammates with the Gators. Hopefully, having some fellow alumni within Florham Park will help Polite make a smoother transition, especially with all the question marks surrounding him.
