Under Jon Gruden, the Oakland Raiders have never been afraid to take a risk. They are willing to flip every single stone to find talented players. Considering the team’s need at defensive end, don’t be surprised if they take a few risks to fill that position.
Last year, the team grabbed the talented, yet-troubled defensive end Arden Key in the third round. While Key didn’t have a big statistical season, there were flashes of brilliance from him. Could Oakland draft another edge rusher from the SEC with some off the field concerns? It’s possible.
In Chris Collinsworth’s first and final mock draft for Pro Football Focus, he gave the Raiders defensive end Jachai Polite from Flordia. Take a look at Collinsworth’s explanation of the selection:
My first off-the-board pick. His pro day was a disaster, running very slow after a 4.84 combine time, he ran 5.0 in Gainesville. But, when you watch the tape, he looks fast. He has probably the best wiggle in this class of next-level edge rushers, and finds his was slipping and sliding around offensive linemen to the quarterback. He has more diversity to his rush moves than any other candidate here. The critics will hate this pick, but he will be productive like Trey Flowers all those years for New England.
As a true junior in the SEC, Polite recorded 17.5 tackles for a loss and 11 sacks for the Gators. He also accumulated six forced fumbles and four pass deflections.
However, his pre-draft process has been troubling as he ran a 5.03 40-yard dash at his pro day and recorded just a 7.59 3-cone. Still, the upside is fascinating as he was one of the most talented edge rushers in the class.
It’s not impossible to see Polite fall well into the second day of the NFL Draft. However, if Oakland decides to gamble on him here, it wouldn’t be considered a reach. If the Raiders miss out on some of the top edge rushers with their first two picks, don’t be surprised if the team considers him at this point in the draft.
