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Early in the 2019 NFL Draft process, it seemed that Florida linebacker Jachai Polite would be a no doubt first-round selection, with many thinking he would be a possible top ten selection. Unfortunately for him, poor combine workouts and other factors caused his stock to plummet, dropping him to the third round when the New York Jets selected him.
Speaking to media earlier today (via Pro Football Talk), Jets head coach Adam Gase said that the Jets hoped to give Polite a “fresh start,” and that he didn’t care too much about what happened prior to Polite to cause his stock to drop.
“What happened in the past is irrelevant to me,” Gase said.
The main culprit behind Polite’s steady decline on draft boards came at the NFL Draft Combine, where he injured his hamstring and turned in a variety of poor testing numbers. It was also there that he noted on various teams “bashing” him during interviews, something that some teams and media members weren’t too happy to hear him say.
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Still, he’s made his way to the NFL, and will now be looking to prove a ton of doubters wrong.
During his career at Florida, Polite only tallied 11 sacks, but had the skills to consistently pressure the quarterback when healthy. For a team like the Jets, a team in need of pass rushing off the edge, they’ll be hoping that Polite is able to turn the page from his poor results during the draft and instead look ahead to a new start.
With ample playing time likely coming in New York, Polite will have every opportunity to show the NFL world why he should have been a top pick.
