Quote:
Originally Posted by Mecca
An idea for what the Chiefs are doing...they are doing a formal interview with Jachai Polite, this team is changing personnel in a big way.
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" smilieid="199" class="inlineimg" />...are they one of the teams that reportedly "grilled" him?
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/03/jac...terviews<br />
Many players have recovered from poor NFL combine performances and gone on to have tremendously productive careers, so maybe Florida edge rusher Jachai Polite shouldn’t feel too bad about what happened in Indianapolis this weekend at the 2019 NFL Combine. But, man, the guy could not have had a worse time at the annual showcase for draft prospects.
We’ll start on the field, where Polite turned in an underwhelming performance in the 40-yard-dash before pulling himself from the rest of the drills due to a hamstring injury that he had, apparently, been dealing with for 10 days.
Polite is seen as a first-round prospect because of his freakish athletic ability so this 40-yard-dash will not do him any favors…
#UF EDGE Jachai Polite with a 4.84u on his 1st 40 attempt.
1.71 10-yard split. pic.twitter.com/l8gJTE3m7F
— Steve Frederick (@_SteveFrederick) March 3, 2019
He’s an undersized prospect who really needed to wow scout with his workouts. That did not happen.
probably would've been better off skipping the combine entirely pic.twitter.com/kToRHnIc2e
— charles mcdonald (lakers 30-32) (@FourVerts) March 3, 2019
Polite’s interviews with the media were even more concerning than his on-field work. He specifically called out several teams for grilling him during interviews, which is actually pretty standard during these combine meetings.
#Florida EDGE Jachai Polite said that when he met with the 49ers at the Combine, they didn’t even really talk football with him at all. “They just bashed me the whole time… Idk.”
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) March 2, 2019
The full exchange with Florida's Jachai Polite when he was asked about his meeting with the #Packers. pic.twitter.com/OD49VbAx8x
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) March 3, 2019
Polite did seem to have a good interview with the Rams, who did not scrutinize his play.
Jachai Polite said Rams were his best meeting “bc they didn’t bash me. Everybody else picking at my game”
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) March 2, 2019
“Responds well to constructive criticism” is not a box Polite checked off this weekend. And it gets worse from there: A reporter asked the Florida product on how he tried to improve the weaknesses he saw in his film during the lead-up to the draft. His response was, um, interesting…
Was poor in the interview. I asked him about something I saw on film. Stunned when he told me he's never watched film of himself. He looked bewildered. pic.twitter.com/bZLGvbJkdo
— Brett Yarris (@Brett_PFN_BX) March 3, 2019
“I don’t really focus on — it’s just natural. That’s just how I play. I never really even watch myself that much to know that. That’s crazy.”
Even if it is true that Polite isn’t a big fan of self-scouting, YOU DON’T ADMIT THAT DURING WHAT’S BASICALLY YOUR JOB INTERVIEW. Polite is a raw prospect who will need to develop more pass rush moves to make an impact in the league. If he’s not actively working to better himself, team’s will rightfully be concerned. This is a terrible look.
Luckily for Polite, he still has his pro day to right all of these wrongs. Florida’s Pro Day takes place on March 27.