It’s 2019, and the Redskins defense needs to have an edge heading into next season.
At their best in 2018, the Washington Redskins defense was tenacious, physical, and dominant in all facets. But the length of a sixteen-game season bore down on Washington’s defensive unit, revealing flaws that had previously been hidden. By season’s end, the defensive line was worn, one of the team’s starting linebackers was benched, and the secondary was eviscerated, with D.J. Swearinger heading to Arizona.
In 2019, the Redskins desperately need offensive talent, but they also need a facelift on defense. In the secondary, both safety slots need filling, and on the defensive line, a void will appear opposite Ryan Kerrigan if Preston Smith leaves for free agency.
With disrupting the passer becoming more and more important in modern football, finding an edge rusher who can do that consistently will be one of the top priorities for Doug Williams and Co. Smith would be fairly difficult to replace, as he’s solid against the run and the pass, but if there’s any draft class where the Redskins can make it happen, it’s this one.
One edge rusher who has a good chance of both being available, and being good value at pick No. 15, is Florida’s Jachai Polite. It’s well known that Polite has great speed, but what are the intricacies of his game that make him such an interesting prospect? Let’s take a look at one of the 2019 NFL Draft’s most enticing players.
Scouting Polite
Ask anyone who watches film what makes Jachai Polite so special, and you’re likely to get the same answer wherever you go: His speed.
Polite has incredible burst; he can win with it alone on some snaps. He has moments on his film where his sheer speed as an edge rusher catches you by complete surprise, such as the 1:15 mark in his Mississippi State film. His lateral quickness is just as excellent; with loose hips, agile feet, and tremendous stop-and-start ability, Polite can both avoid double teams and win one-on-one battles. With all that said, there’s room for Polite to be even faster, as his launch process often contains a false step that could be eliminated.
With his quickness, Polite can stay untouched and either rocket straight to the quarterback or quickly navigate alternate lanes. His speed disrupts quarterbacks’ rhythm, and he plays with an unquenchable motor, and a hunger that only becomes more fierce after his first sack.
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Polite is very slippery as a rusher, using his speed and size to slip through windows in the offensive line. But his speed can be a double-edged sword. Polite sometimes plays himself beyond the pocket, giving the tackle room to get his hands on him and push him out of the play. Polite shows refined technique often enough, swiping linemen’s hands and using leverage and acceleration to sear around the edge. But once a tackle gets a firm grip on him, he’s not as impactful.
That takes us to the most concerning aspect of Polite’s game: It may be too one-dimensional. Polite’s stronger than his size might indicate, and adequate power shows up at random times on Polite’s tape, making you think about the potential he has. But too often, his lack of power and length hurts him, against the pass and especially against the run.
Without consistent power, Polite can’t seal the edge consistently in run defense. He gives too much on those plays, and without a starting burst, tackles get their hands on him and neutralize him. This happened often in the Georgia game, where Polite was manhandled against the run from start to finish. Polite has good lane awareness against the run, but he’s only able to make a play if he isn’t contained.
Polite’s lack of length combines with his lack of consistent functional strength to create an obstacle for Polite’s dominance at the next level. When Polite gets better leverage, he can use the power he has more effectively. He completed a bull rush move more than once against Mississippi State, which happened to be his best game tape. The lowest man wins, but Polite sometimes plays too upright, too rigid, and tackles longer and stronger than Polite can get their hands on him. Subsequently, he’s taken out of the play.
Slow-moving NFL tackles will be eaten for breakfast by Polite, and tackles that aren’t as strong will find themselves on the defense often against Polite, whose momentum will give him the advantage. But Polite won’t fare well against well-rounded NFL tackles; players who can use length, power, and agility to win their matchups. To put it simply, Polite needs more in his toolbox besides speed. You’d even like him to have more consistent bend, with the speed he has. But the quickest avenue to improvement is for Polite, who’s currently 6-foot-2, 240, to bulk up.
All the criticism aside, Polite is a good prospect, and he’s a good player for the Redskins to pinpoint. He fits the 3-4 scheme as an edge rusher, and even with his one-dimensional game, his speed can be too much to handle. His movement prowess also allows Polite to play in coverage; he frequently dropped back and spied the flat on tape, and he was able to run with backs to the side line.
Against play fakes and read options, Polite wasn’t easily fooled. He always keeps his eyes on the ball, especially when rushing the pass. When he knows he’s not reaching the quarterback, he gets his hands up in an attempt to deflect, and when he does reach the quarterback, he seeks out the strip sack. With six forced fumbles in his final season, he proved he’s effective in that area.
Polite’s speed brings exciting potential, and as Jon Ledyard explained in Polite’s player profile on The Draft Network, linked below, Polite didn’t often play with his hand in the dirt in college, and when he did, his burst was more concentrated and refined, without the false step that took away from it on other snaps. Perhaps, in the NFL, Polite should play more often with his hand in the dirt. He has to get stronger, but a three-point stance might better facilitate his blazing speed.
But speed alone doesn’t win in the NFL. Polite showed flashes of adequate power and leverage, but those flashes were spread too thin over the course of the 2018 season. He didn’t progress linearly as the season went on, and although he showed some development against Florida State, he was severely limited in the bowl game afterward, against Michigan. Polite’s speed is unique, and will be his biggest selling point on draft day. But his lack of power and size is concerning, especially as he makes the leap to the NFL.
Tape Watched
Jachai Polite vs. Kentucky (2018 – Week 2)
Jachai Polite vs. Colorado State (2018 – Week 3)
Jachai Polite vs. Tennessee (2018 – Week 4)
Jachai Polite vs. Mississippi State (2018 – Week 5)
Jachai Polite vs. Georgia (2018 – Week 8)
Jachai Polite vs. Missouri (2018 – Week 9)
Jachai Polite vs. South Carolina (2018 – Week 10)
Jachai Polite vs. Florida State (2018 – Week 12)
Best Games: Colorado State, Tennessee, Mississippi State
Worst Games: Kentucky, Georgia, Missouri
Other Resources Used
2019 NFL Draft Profile Player Profile: Jachai Polite – The Draft Network
How Polite fits with the Redskins
Jachai Polite’s best fit is the 3-4 hybrid scheme that the Washington Redskins run. He has the speed to maximize what Washington’s vision is on defense, and if he were to be drafted in Round 1, he’d be just 21 years old in his rookie year, and far cheaper than what Preston Smith might become this offseason.
That said, while Polite’s speed bodes well for him as a 3-4 outside linebacker, his lack of strength and length can’t be forgotten as he heads to the NFL. Those are two qualities that Preston Smith does not lack.
Opposite Ryan Kerrigan, Polite would perhaps better compliment the steely veteran. His quickness and fluidity as a rusher mirrors that of a younger Junior Galette, and Polite’s motor is so active that once he does get stronger, he could become a force of absolute havoc.
Ultimately, adding Polite would allow the Redskins to better maximize their 3-4 scheme, if they chose to do so. Polite has the ability to cover that the Redskins tried to force out of their outside linebackers in 2018, and Polite’s speed is something new to this defense, something that could give it added life. But while his speed brings great promise, his slight frame and streaky power leaves one wondering if Polite’s ceiling is as high as advertised.
Should the Redskins draft Jachai Polite?
This is a conversation the Redskins need to have early. Before free agency, in fact.
The Redskins need to be familiar with the possible replacements for Preston Smith before they decide on a deal for the Mississippi State product. What if they were to draft Polite, then find that he’s a liability against the run in the NFL, whereas Preston Smith is not?
Polite brings more upside that Preston Smith at this point in his career. One isn’t even 21 years old yet, while the other is 26. But Smith is a much more well-rounded edge rusher, and while Polite is fairly polished with his speed, his power and length cultivate very legitimate concerns. He’s shown in flashes that if he has leverage, his lacking punch becomes pure brute strength. But can he add that to his game, on a consistent basis, against NFL tackles? If he can, then Polite could be the next big thing. If he can’t, then he’s a pass rush specialist, and a somewhat limited one at that.
Ultimately, if the Redskins are to draft Polite, they first need to ask themselves this question: How good is Preston Smith? If the team moves on from Smith, Polite immediately becomes a top option in Round 1. His speed warrants such an early selection; he can be a total game-breaker against the pass. But can he be feasibly molded into a more well-rounded player? If the answer is yes, in the eyes of the evaluator, then he’s a compelling candidate at No. 15.