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TOP 40 PLAYERS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS NEEDS & TARGETS
POSITIONAL TOP 5 RANKINGS & VIDEO BREAKDOWNS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
INMAN: NFC NORTH WORST CASE DRAFT SCENARIOS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL (PODCASTS, VIDEOS, ARTICLES)
INMAN’S MOCK DRAFT COLLECTION

A 21-year-old edge-rushing prospect, Jachai Polite wowed in his junior year at Florida, becoming just one of two players in the nation to record 10+ sacks and five or more forced fumbles. But the pre-draft process hasn’t been kind to Polite, who struggled at the NFL Combine with a 4.84 40-yard dash that would’ve been fine for interior defensive linemen, but nowhere near up to par for an undersized edge.

Polite pinned the poor performance on a bad hamstring, but he slowed down at his Florida pro day with a 5.04, which has his stock plummeting. Polite also reportedly did not interview well at the combine. Once considered a first-round pick, there’s no telling where Polite ends up now.

Size

6-3, 258 pounds

Combine notables

40-yard dash: 4.84 seconds (2^nd slowest at position)
Vertical: 32 inches (4^th worst at position)

What the analysts say

“Instinctive rusher with natural feel for attacking the pocket and the explosive athletic ability to finish the job. Polite’s frightening speed to the edge is the foundation for his pass-rush success, but it’s the potential diversity and fluidity of his attack that makes him such a compelling prospect. He has been heavier in his career and might need to add good weight in order to remove himself from the DPR (designated pass rusher) list and into a full-time role as a 3-4 outside backer.” – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

“Polite has the burst, flexibility, rush variety, processing skills and twitch needed to become an impact pass rusher in the NFL. With that said, his lack of play strength, length and mass limits his upside as a run defender. Polite projects favorably to a 3-4 outside linebacker role but hasn’t been tasked with coverage drops so his ability there remains to be seen. Polite should see the field early in his career on passing downs where he should be an effective pass rusher as he develops the rest of his skill set to become an every-down option.” – Joe Marino, The Draft Network

What PFF says

-10^th in run-stop percentage
-14^th in pass-rush productivity

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CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE
ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE

TOP 40 PLAYERS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS NEEDS & TARGETS
POSITIONAL TOP 5 RANKINGS & VIDEO BREAKDOWNS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
INMAN: NFC NORTH WORST CASE DRAFT SCENARIOS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL (PODCASTS, VIDEOS, ARTICLES)
INMAN’S MOCK DRAFT COLLECTION

Sam Ekstrom

Sam Ekstrom is an executive producer and host at Locked On Sports Minnesota. He's previously covered the Vikings for 105 The Ticket, Zone Coverage, Purple Insider, and the Associated Press. He grew up in Vermillion, S.D. rooting for the USD Coyotes (not SDSU) and graduated from Dordt (not "dork") University in Sioux Center, Iowa.

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