Jachai

Polite

Polite was the No. 68 overall pick in the 2019 draft and failed to make the Jets’ roster. The 14th-percentile SPARQ athlete also failed to catch on with the Seahawks and figures to have a tough time earning another chance elsewhere.

It’s quite the fall from grace for Polite, who was failed to make the Jets’ roster after being picked 68th overall in April’s draft. The former Florida Gator then went unclaimed on waivers, eventually settling for a role on the Seahawks’ practice squad. Polite tested as an anemic 14th-percentile SPARQ athlete at the Combine and that lack of athleticism was evident during his time in East Rutherford.

Polite had a quiet summer but was the No. 68 overall pick of the draft. You almost never see a day-two pick fail to make the 53-man roster. The Jets couldn’t even bother to invent a reason to redshirt him. Polite’s release underscores the depth of the disagreement between coach Adam Gase and ex-GM Mike Maccagnan, who drafted Polite but was fired mere weeks later. Polite will almost certainly get claimed on waivers.

His deal includes a $1,122,472 million signing bonus. With Polite locked up, the Jets now have four of their six draft picks under contract. First-round DT Quinnen Williams and third-round OT Chuma Edoga are the two remaining holdouts.

Polite (6’3/258) turned pro as a true junior after making just nine starts in Gainesville but collecting 26.5 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, and eight forced fumbles, and leading the nation in the latter statistic (6) in 2018. A one-year wonder, Polite’s 40 QB pressures generated last season nearly doubled his combined total from 2016-17 (21). Polite bombed the pre-draft process, however, running an even slower forty at his Pro Day (4.96) than the Combine (4.84) and looking clearly out of shape while allegedly turning off evaluators in interviews. A talented enigma, Polite profiles as a classic boom-bust prospect. He adds a much needed pass-rush next to No. 3 overall pick Quinnen Williams without New York forcing the issue and losing any additional picks in the process..

Polite (6'2/242) earned All-SEC honors for his breakout junior season — forcing six fumbles and ranking second in the conference with 11 sacks. He had only one year of production — Polite played a rotational role as a true freshman and missed the final four games of 2017 to a shoulder injury. A favorite of PFF College, Polite has a ton of helium going into the pre-draft process. There’s some Dante Fowler risk to Polite, but he’s unlikely to fall out of the top-30 picks.