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DE Jachai Polite: How Would Drafting this Player Make the Browns Better?

Round one potential draftee would give Cleveland bookend quality defensive ends

By Barry Shuck
NCAA Football: Louisiana State at Florida Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
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The Browns’ offense next season in all likelihood will be one of the NFL’s most explosive. So, in the draft the club will want to assist the defense and grab some much needed help at key positions.

With Myles Garrett on one side and the newly-traded Olivier Vernon now manning the other side, perhaps a young stud to groom and insert for a blow to either pass rushing demon might be just what the Browns are looking for with a three-man rotation.

Jachai Polite is a highly-ranked DE with a nose for the backfield. He has impressed NFL scouts with his athleticism specifically his ability to bend under the OT’s edge and get to the quarterback. In his junior year, he was regularly double-teamed because of his backfield presence and frequent hits on the opposing team’s QB. Yet despite the efforts to slow him down he registered 11 sacks. He is also excellent against the run and not simply a pass rushing demon.

For Browns’ fans, Polite can also slide inside and paired with DEs Garrett/Vernon would make any offensive coordinator’s dream job a nightmare.

Specifics:

College: Florida
Height: 6’-2”
Weight: 260 pounds
40-time: 4.84
Career Tackles: 77
Career Forced Fumbles: 8
Career Sacks: 14

Positives:

  • Explosive first step best in draft class
  • May be best pass rusher in this year’s draft class
  • Very quick and tenacious
  • Great run stopper
  • Excellent length to long-arm OTs
  • Instinctive as a pass-rusher
  • Played in powerful SEC against strong competition
  • First Team All-SEC 2018
  • Double-digit sacks 2018 (11)

Negatives:

  • May be considered undersized
  • Not considered a three-down DE
  • Needs to bulk-up to take on NFL OTs
  • Frequent double-teams in college kept his numbers down

Expert Draft Site Analysis:

Draftcountdown.com

Vital they add someone else who can bring the heat off the edge. Polite may lack the ideal length you’d prefer but he may be the best pure pass rusher in this class. Borderline special. Polite isn’t just a one-trick pony though and also has a diverse arsenal of moves and counters. A classic ‘tweener, Polite won’t be a fit for everyone but those willing to overlook some of the measurables and focus on the tape will be rewarded.

Could Jachai Polite be in the Browns’ future and help with the pass rush?

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