Subscribe
Follow Us
The New York Jets have cut rookie linebacker Jachai Polite, according to Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News.
The Jets chose Polite, who played his collegiate football at the University of Florida, in the third round (68th pick overall) of the NFL Draft back in April, so his release certainly comes as a bit of a surprise.
Polite spent three seasons at Florida, arriving in 2016. His impact during his freshman season was limited, as he logged just 11 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a couple of sacks and a forced fumble. Then, the following season, he played in just seven games as a result of shoulder surgery, finishing with 22 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks, and a forced fumble.
It wasn't until Polite's junior campaign with the Gators that he finally broke out, as he racked up 45 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, six forced fumbles, and four passes defended.
It's important to keep in mind that the general manager who drafted Polite, Mike Maccagnan, is no longer in the Jets front office, so it seems like new GM Joe Douglas was not enthralled with Polite as a prospect.
It didn't help matters much that Polite struggled mightily in the preseason, and Douglas surely took note of Polite's horrific Scouting Combine that saw his stock drop drastically.
There was a short time where the 21-year-old was considered a potential first-round talent.
Even if Polite was disappointing at the combine and in preseason, it's still rather jarring to see a team give up on a third-round pick so quickly.
