Draft picks come at a premium in the NFL, and early-round selections are practically sacred. So when the New York Jets decided to include 2019 second-round pick Jachai Polite among their final cuts, it came as quite a surprise to the rest of the league.

Sure, Polite had not exactly made his mark on the preseason–just five tackles in four games–but to actually cut Polite before giving him the chance to develop seemed like a rash decision.

In fact, Polite's dismissal may have been spurred on by a “divide” in New York's coaching staff that goes back to draft night:

Polite was actually drafted by former Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan, who was fired in May (just three weeks after the draft) despite adding the likes of Le'Veon Bell and C.J. Mosley in free agency.

The way in which Polite's preseason played out also seems to suggest that he never really had a chance of making New York's roster.

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Brian Costello of the New York Post detailed how Polite mostly ran with the third team in practice and rarely saw action with special teams:

Polite was viewed as a possible solution to the pass-rushing problems — he had 11 sacks last year for the Florida Gators. But it became clear in training camp that the coaches were not high on him. He played mostly with the third team and made very little impact. Another damning sign was that he was not playing on special teams, which is where rookie linebackers usually make their mark.

Polite's draft stock had fallen significantly after a poor showing at the NFL Draft Combine, and questions about his character muddied his profile.

Still, New York's decision to cut Polite outright may as well be a waste of their second-round pick, which is hardly an encouraging sign for a team that is desperate to win again.