A look at top prospects by position - this thread - Defense Ends 1 Nick Bosa EDGE Ohio State 2 Brian Burns EDGE Florida State 3 Josh Allen EDGE Kentucky 4 Clelin Ferrell EDGE Clemson 5 Jachai Polite EDGE Florida More can be added by request - or feel free to post your own players.
Nick Bosa SCHOOL: Ohio State HT: 6-3/6'4 WT: 270/263 lbs D.O.B.: 10/23/1997 Via Sports-Reference: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/nick-bosa-1.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nick has a piece in The Players' Tribune: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/nick-bosa-ohio-state-buckeyes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Draft Network https://thedraftnetwork.com/2018/12/07/2019-nfl-draft-player-profile-nick-bosa/ CRABBS "First Step Quickness – Has effective burst in short spaces, consistently pressuring the outside on slow footed or sloppy OTs. Explosiveness stands out most on obvious passing down/distances. Will eat up a lot of space on initial three steps to force a premature hinge and isolate OTs in rush. Hand Technique/Length – Masterful ability to discard the hands of would-be blockers. Has the needed pinpoint accuracy to slap through the wrist or elbow and knows how to use leverage and momentum to pop loose a hand fit off of his chest. Follows through with limb to ensure no reset by blocker is clean. Pass Rush Counters – Is lethal when working back inside to turn up into the pocket and flatten to challenge vs. over-setting OL. Has won with push/pull, chop/club, inside swim move, speed rush and by converting speed to power. Has no shortage of counters and knows how and when to implement. Flexibility – Torso mobility is among the best in the class. Ability to open the shoulders, diminish surface area and carry speed through corners is excellent. Pliable frame allows for optimal rush counter finishes. Has little issue with working through tight spaces as a result. Run Defending – Processing and reactive quickness vs. drive blocks is tremendous. Ability to step into pulling OL and quickly set hands allows for effective setting of the edge and forcing the ball back into pursuit. Stout LOS defender who is wins through stacking blocks and in penetration reps. Competitive Toughness – Consistently plays on the offensive side of the line of scrimmage, rarely uprooted when playing to anchor vs. blocks. Awareness as a rusher allows for extra effort once passer is flushed into a pursuit angle. Can be found down the field pursuing the football on plays breaking LOS. Tackling – Stout wrap up tackler. Shows effective skill in disengaging from blocks late and contorting his wingspan to get a wrap up on the ball carrier, even if losing balance or dropping to the ground. Does not give up ground in head-up tackle attempts. Explosive hitting power. Lateral Mobility – Lateral skills shine brightest when gearing down to corner and pivot back from over-pursuing the pocket. Can give up the edge in head up tackle opportunities vs. shifty ball carriers but takes good angles to prevent poor reps. Sudden doubling back across face of blockers. Stand Up Ability – Has been offered intermittent opportunities to stand up and rush from a two-point stance. Wouldn’t recommend playing out in space as a coverage option, although could be given creative reps to spy quarterbacks or drop off the edge to take away a quick slant. Football IQ – Polish is present for an immediate impact at the NFL level. Wins with fundamentals and with athletic ability. Heady player who offers multiple layers to pass rush plan and rarely gets caught without a secondary counter ready to beat blockers. BEST TRAIT – Hand Technique WORST TRAIT – Stand-Up Ability BEST FILM – Wisconsin (2017) WORST FILM – Michigan (2017) RED FLAGS – 2018 abdominal/core injury EDGE Nick Bosa projects as a high impact 3-point stance rusher from day one. Offering versatility to play in nearly any scheme/front, Bosa is a universal blue chip prospect who can be moved along the line of scrimmage at the leisure of down/distance and at the will of his coaches. An ideal role would feature interior reps for penetration skills and maximize mismatch opportunities." MARINO "Run Defense – Sets a consistently firm edge and plays with outstanding leverage. Locates the football and sheds blocks to routinely make plays near the line of scrimmage. Maintains his run fits at a high level and keeps outside leverage. Outstanding in backside pursuit. Has the ability to slash through gaps when slanting inside. Stout and productive. Pass Rush – Special. Explosive out of his stance and gains substantial depth with his first step. Effectively reads the set of the offensive tackle and knows how to exploit. Highly effective at clearing his hands and diminishing his surface area. Has the flexibility to win around the outside hip of the offensive tackle. Showcases tremendous variety in his pass rush moves and always has a plan. Converts speed to power extremely well while showcasing plenty of counters and inside moves. Good twitch in the upper half. Burst – Smooth and explosive out of his stance and gains considerable depth in his first three steps. Will occasionally mistime the snap and be a touch behind. Doesn’t have elite burst out of his stance but its still outstanding. Effort – Plays with a high level of urgency and an unrelenting motor. His effort is never in question. Effective in backside pursuit and finds his way to the football. Fires out of his stance with leverage and tenacity. Never content being blocked and battles throughout every snap. Hand Technique – Illustrates a wide range of techniques to keep his pads clear and soften angles to play through blocks. Executes moves with excellent timing in relationship to the blocker to win reps. Routinely controls reps because of his violent and aggressive hands. Clears his pads at an elite level. Flexibility – Has the requisite flexibility to corner and beat offensive tackles around their outside hip. Exceptional ability to reduce his surface area and he’s super twitchy in the upper half. Not super bendy with his hips but its a minor, minor gripe. Processing – Football IQ is obvious. Plays with tremendous technique and play diagnosing skills. Understands how to counter and combat blocks. Finds the football with regularity. Reads the offensive tackles supremely well. Play Strength – Has no issues exchanging power with offensive tackles and even taking on multiple blockers on a given rep. Exceptional strength in the lower half to anchor and squeeze gaps. Converts speed to power extremely well and plays through contact. Outstanding finishing power. Versatility – Ideally suited to function as a 4-3 defensive end but can occasionally work from a stand up position. Has playmaking upside against the run and pass. BEST TRAIT – Hand Technique WORST TRAIT – None RED FLAGS – Season-ending core injury in 2018 Bosa projects most favorably to playing defensive end in an even front with upside to immediately become a high impact playmaker. He offers a polished pass rushing skill set, exceptional processing skills, outstanding play strength and the athleticism to be a game-changing edge defender in the NFL. By year three, Bosa has the upside to be one of the NFL’s most valuable and dynamic defensive playmakers." LEDYARD "Burst – Impressive first step burst with low pad level to remain aerodynamic up the arc. Stride lengths are eye-popping, gains ground in a hurry and can get to top speed quickly. At times is a tad late off the ball, can do a better job of timing up the cadence more consistently. Sudden mover who can alter his path quickly without losing speed. Bend – Not a hip-bender like Myles Garrett, but has shown the ability to duck under punches while maintaining his speed up the arc. Tilts the edge with awesome ankle flexibility, powering through contact to trim tight angles to the pocket. Negates lack of elite hip bend by getting feet and hips consistently pointed toward the pocket early, creating favorable angles to the quarterback. Rush Moves – Ridiculous repertoire of moves, including cross-chops, clubs, 2-hand swats, bull rushes, inside swims, push-pulls and rips. Only move I’d like to see more of is the long arm given how devastating it could be for Bosa. Initiates contact consistently and is always working a plan of attack. Incredible ability to absorb contact, hand-fight through it and continue undeterred up the arc. Counters – Seems to be getting better in this area, although so infrequently had his initial move stymied that he rarely had to counter. Outstanding at recognizing oversets and taking inside paths to the quarterback when available. Quickly and readily alters his path on the move, has flashed a spin move to work back inside or outside that will come in handy in the NFL. Run Defense – Fires off the ball with both hands inside his opponent, showing good pad level and technique. Can do a better job of maintaining full arm extension to lock out the edge. Recognizing blocking schemes is a work in progress. Has the power and tenacity to toss blockers aside and does so frequently. May get knocked back a half-step initially, but almost always wins the exchange in a timely fashion to control his gap. Range and hustle are excellent. Lateral Mobility – Stutter-steps to manipulate pass sets are a thing of beauty. Can start on the outside shoulder of the tackle and cross his face so fast the guard can’t even get over to help in time. Not a ton of examples of playing in space, but seems to move laterally at a high level and has little issue changing direction. Mental Processing/Vision – Reads pass sets well and understands how to attack his opponent. Finds blocker’s hands and compromises them. Good job of stepping down when unblocked off the line of scrimmage. Can get too deep at times when teeing off, widening his gap and allowing himself to be sealed off from runs inside of him. Tackling/Finishing – Like his brother, will occasionally lose his balance while attempting to finish, a weird mini-tendency that I haven’t noticed in many rushers outside of he and Joey (more frequent with Joey). As a tackler, unbelievable grip strength and radius to consistently get opponents on the ground. Would like to see him target the ball a little more during sacks in the NFL. Competitive Toughness – Ultra-physical and consistently hustling when on the field. Doesn’t take plays off and appears to be in unbelievable physical condition. Athleticism/Size – Elite size, length, muscle distribution and athleticism. BEST TRAIT – Rush Moves WORST TRAIT – Balance RED FLAGS – Season-ending core injury in 2018 Perhaps the phrase “can’t miss prospect” is an overused one that should be thrown out, but if we were to use it, Nick Bosa makes sense as the subject. All the physical traits are there to succeed as well as the athletic ones, and his polish and pass rush repertoire is rare for a player straight out of college. To see how he stacks up against recent elite edge defender prospects, check out the trait-by-trait comparison I did mid-December. Bosa should be the first or second non-quarterback off the board and has All-Pro potential early in his career." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Game Haus https://thegamehaus.com/nick-bosa-2019-nfl-draft-profile/2018/11/16/ "Background Nick Bosa is one of the top edge rushers in the 2019 NFL Draft class. Bosa has drawn comparisons to his older brother Joey, who was selected number three overall in the 2016 NFL draft. Joey has said that his younger brother is far ahead of where he was at this point of his career. He was a standout at Ohio State for two-plus years, racking up 17.5 sacks in his two-plus seasons with the Buckeyes. Bosa has shown great playmaking skills against the run and the pass. He did get injured with a core muscle injury and did not play after week 3 of the college football season, as he elected to sit out to recover and prepare for the NFL Draft. Bosa is seen as a premier talent and should be a top 10 pick if the NFL doctors clear his injury, which shouldn’t be a problem. Strengths Bosa has good size and will likely add to his frame like his brother did once he got to the NFL. Although he played in a 4-3 scheme at Ohio State, he has the traits and size to play in the multiple schemes at the NFL level. He has solid play strength that he uses to stand his ground and shed blockers. Bosa in 2017 He is quick off of the snap of the ball, which helps him push back opposing tackles before they are ready. His good athleticism and hand fighting help him get to the quarterback on pass plays. He bends well to get around the corner too. When matched up one on one with a blocker he usually wins, but often times is double teamed. Against the run, Bosa maintains good gap integrity and uses his great block-shedding skills to get to the ball carrier. He keeps his motor going and makes sure to follow the play through to get the ball carrier is on the ground. It is easy to tell that Bosa trains with his brother because he has a similar pass rushing technique and uses his hands about as well. Weaknesses People trying to find weaknesses will not find many with Bosa. Bosa could improve his play recognition, as he has a tendency to get fooled on misdirections, reverses and play actions. This is one area where he could have better discipline and it has cost his team in the past. He will also have to prove that he can play through a grueling NFL schedule. In his first two seasons at Ohio State, the Buckeyes had enough depth that they could keep all of their defensive linemen fresh. In his third season as a Buckeye, Bosa got hurt in the third game. In a 16 game NFL schedule where most teams won’t have great depth at his position, Bosa will be asked to play a lot more than he has been at Ohio State. Bosa will also have to be cleared of his injury, but if he can participate in the NFL Combine in February, he should be fine. With his core muscle injury, the NFL might wonder how long it will take to shake off the rust after only playing in three games this season. Projected Draft Range: Top five pick" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NFL Draft Geek https://www.nfldraftgeek.com/6212-2/ "Nick Bosa Scouting Report Video | Summer May 21, 2018 Brian Johannes Film Breakdown, Updated 0 On this episode of the NFL Draft Geek Film Room Brian Johannes provides a video Nick Bosa Scouting Report. Watch as Brian shows what makes Bosa one of the best pass rushers in college football, where Bosa thrives and how Bosa compares to some of the pass rushers that have come out in the past NFL Drafts. Nick Bosa Scouting Report Video -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Burns SCHOOL: Florida State CONFERENCE: ACC HT: 6’5 WT: 231 lbs D.O.B.: 04/23/1998 Via Sports-Reference: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/brian-burns-2.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Draft Network https://thedraftnetwork.com/2019/01/03/2019-nfl-draft-player-profile-brian-burns/ MARINO "A five-star recruit, Burns has racked up 23 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and four forced fumbles across his first two seasons at Florida State. Given his physical upside and billing, Burns is expected to have a standout junior season. Already showing a variety of pass rush moves, footwork, burst and length, Burns has a considerably high ceiling as a pass rusher. He does well to minimize his surface area and use his hands to clear his pads. He knows how to use his feet to set up his pass rush moves and draw opponents out of their sets to soften his rush angles. He has the flexibility to corner the edge track and length to finish. His pass rushing skill set translates nicely to the NFL level. As a run defender, Burns competes hard to stay in his run fits while also effective attacking gaps. With that said, his lack of bulk and need for increased play strength yields notably different results when tasked with combating tight ends as opposed to offensive tackles. Given his long and lean frame, Burns doesn’t quite have the elite athleticism expected of an edge rusher for his size. While he does showcase impressive moments of explosive burst, playing faster is needed. The need for more play speed often shows up with how Burns reads an offensive tackles set and is calculated in how he responds. He is a fluid mover that needs to execute quicker. Burns is already an appealing prospect but there is room for growth and it’s exciting to consider how good he can get. If Burns can add mass without losing his explosive athletic ability then it would serve his draft stock well." LEDYARD "Burst – Good first step from a variety of stances, clearly has the ability to threaten with speed enough to force tackles into oversets. Would not call his first step elite, but has the stride length to win up the arc despite not being ultra-explosive. Works from a 2, 3, and 4-point stance depending on the game, and can get-off the ball well from all three positions. Might be at his most explosive in a 4-point stance, and his first step would benefit from playing with his hand down in the NFL. Possible that he may become more explosive when he can consistently practice/play in just one stance. Bend – Unique bender. Clearly has exceptional flexibility throughout his body, yet isn’t the best hip-bender through contact. Takes some wider angles around the pocket as a result and will occasionally be shoved up the arc. Issue is alleviated due to his outstanding ability to dip or run under contact when the angle is more favorable. Vast majority of edge pressure came from a wide-9 alignment when his hips and feet were already pointed to the pocket a little better. Has the ability to tilt the edge with ankle flexibility and drop his inside shoulder to finish. Rush Moves – Well-developed pass rusher with a deep stable of moves. Has flashed club-rip, push-pull, icepicks, two-hand swats, swims and more. Hand work is well-thought out, but lacks the power and ferocity to be devastating. Still able to trim the edge and is sudden enough with his mitts to catch offensive lineman off-guard and get in clean. Hand work and rush variety allows him to challenge tackles in ways that other pass rushers of his build in past drafts have not. One negative? He doesn’t convert speed-to-power at all. Counters – One of the more impressive areas of Burns’ game. Consistently able to recognize set deficiencies and alter his plan on the fly. Will often set up his opponent with stutter-steps and choose a path based on his opponents’ reaction. Consistently breaks off speed rushes to work back inside oversets, often with a spin move. Wish he was a little quicker altering directions to not allow tackles to recover. Run Defense – Not going to toss guys around in the trenches, but is rarely pushed around and sets the edge with length and leverage. Great range to the boundary. Don’t think you can move him around the defensive line or slant him inside and expect an impact. Needs to maintain a better feel for his depth to the line of scrimmage, climbs too high at times and opens up rush lanes. Got a few off-ball reps on the goal-line and showed the ability to process and make plays to the boundary. Lateral Mobility – Not overly segmented in his movements like some long-legged rushers, but not as explosive laterally as you’d like. Still, alters directions smoothly and can adjust his pursuit angle to make plays. Can’t see mobility being an issue in the NFL. Mental Processing/Vision – Still improving at what to do in unblocked situations, can get a little high and needs to step down flatter. Recognition against the run can improve, but as a pass rusher his vision is among the best in the class. Well-trained edge rusher who knows what to look for in his opponents’ sets and is consistently able to attack weaknesses as a result. Tackling/Finishing – Long arms to bring runners down outside his frame. Range of impact is extended simply due to his length, able to make stops away from him by dragging runners down. Not a big hitter, but targets the ball beautifully, with seven forced fumbles in college, including three each of the past two years. Competitive Toughness – Not a power player, but doesn’t back down from anyone and shows desired toughness and physicality on a per-game basis. Plays hard and didn’t slow up even when Florida State was getting throttled in games. Consistently doubled or chipped and kept the same energy regardless. Athleticism/Size – Outstanding height, weight and length, but may need to add bulk at the next level. Weigh-ins will be huge for him. Can he hit 250 and still test well? I think he’s a good athlete for sure, but his weight-adjusted numbers will need to hold up against heavier edges who test similarly. Smooth mover, but how does he test in the explosive exercises? BEST TRAIT – Rush Moves/Counters WORST TRAIT – Speed-to-Power RED FLAGS – None Billed as a speed/bend pass rusher, Burns is certainly capable of winning that way, but that title seems to minimize how well-rounded his whole pass rush skill set is. Sharp with his hands and diverse with his rush plan, Burns can beat tackles inside or outside and has terrific mental processing to take advantage of what opponents gives him. His weigh-ins and size-adjusted athletic testing will be important, but his tape, traits and production say first round prospect despite his lack of an elite first step." CRABBS "First Step Quickness – Potent explosiveness and is consistently pressuring the edge with his first step and ability to explode off the ball. Has beaten heavy footed tackles with pure speed and provides acceleration through the corner to rack up pressures. Blue chip trait. Hand Technique/Length – Highly developed hands and shows a great understanding of importance of placement. Utilizes long arm to establish separation vs. blockers and has no shortage of shedding techniques to uncover and continue in his pursuit to the football. Pass Rush Counters – Hits all of his landmarks on an endless array of counters, including speed rush, inside spin move, swim move, rip/club and even utilized a fake spin on one occasion. Understands the finer points of limb placement and how to limit OL recovery after counters. Flexibility – Surreal mobility and bend for a player of his stature. Has unbelievable lower body tilt and ankle flexion to get the outside foot to catch at the apex of his turn. Shows great coil and explosion through the hips to generate hitting power. Run Defending – Gap slasher who has defeated blocks and gotten to the mesh point with suddenness to disrupt the hand-off. Has enough length and bend to drop hips and hold his ground, although once into that phases he’s typically content to hold his ground and is eliminated from the play. Competitive Toughness –Motor runs hot and can be found 10+ yards down the field in pursuit of the ball on many occasions. Functional strength meets baseline levels but will be an area of emphasis to help further flesh out his game and provided better anchor at the LOS. Tackling – Long wingspan comes in handy when rushing the edge track to get a hand on the passer. Great mobility and lean to maximize his reach and disrupt plays. Has been a bit of a ball hunter, has 6 forced fumbles over the last two seasons. Explosive pads. Lateral Mobility – High level of mobility allows for carrying pursuit outside the numbers. Has done well when isolated on the edge vs. zone read to keep leverage and play outside in. Suddenness allows for a quick inside counter and carrying across the face of his blocker. Stand Up Ability –Has been featured as a 2-point rusher and been moved all around the defensive front. Has some success playing flat zone after being flexed to jam a release. Has movement skills to milk more out of him in this area as well, although he will be raw if tasked with assignments here. Football IQ –Has had impressive understanding as a pass rusher going back to first game viewed, but development and proficiency with his hands stands out as differentiator between him and many of his colleagues. Natural sense of navigating the pocket. Elite body control. BEST TRAIT – Flexibility WORST TRAIT – Run Defending BEST FILM – Miami (2018) and Virginia Tech (2018) WORST FILM – Alabama (2017) RED FLAGS – None Brian Burns is a special prospect with dynamic range, explosive qualities and terrific length/polish as a pass rusher. Burns brings one of the finest pass rushing skill sets to the table in recent years and his explosiveness and developed hand usage should help him provide his team with impact pass rush from day one. Burns would be well served to fill out his frame to be a more well-rounded player but he’s got game-changing qualities." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NFL Draft Geek https://www.nfldraftgeek.com/brian-burns-pass-rusher-you-need-to-know/ "Brian Burns | Pass Rusher You Need to Know August 7, 2018 Brian Johannes Updated 0 Pass Rushers are always a hot commodity to NFL teams and tend to have a higher focus put on them by both the media and the fans. And while most people already know about Nick Bosa, Rashan Gary and Clelin Ferrell one name that might be a little more under the radar is Florida State’s Brian Burns. With Florida State moving on with a new coaching staff and Josh Sweat gone to the NFL, the attention now turns to Burns who could be on the verge of a breakout year. What Brian Burns Does Well Burns is at his best when attacking forward using his his burst and lateral agility to react and make subtle changes of direction allow him to get around defenders and make plays. As a pass rusher he looks to beat the offensive tackle with speed to the edge and then has the ability to sink his hips to bend around the the offensive tackle and get to the quarterback. Even when not lined up off the edge Burns showed the lateral agility to loop inside and then the quickness to beat interior offensive lineman .Burns can also use his long arms well to either swat away the hands of the offensive lineman or to get a hand to the ball to jar a fumble loose. Concerns About Brian Burns While Burns has success playing in space, he can really struggle working in a phone booth. When offensive lineman are able to get their hands on him he gets pushed around way too often causing him to be a liability at times in the run game. Burns also has trouble shedding blocks even if they are in the gap right next to him. If he’s able to use his length and create some leverage he should be able to set the edge in the run game, but it hasn’t be evident yet. As a pass rusher Burns shows the ability to win with athletic ability, but needs to learn how to use his hands and develop a couple of go to moves to win against NFL offensive tackles. Outlook With former defensive coordinator Charles Kelly now gone and Harlon Barnett taking over this should be a good move for Burns. Kelly’s defense was not a good fit for the athletes they had and Barnett’s Michigan State style 4-3 Quarters defense means they’ll want to rush just four defenders and should allow Burns to be more aggressive and work more as a 5 or 7 technique. That being said Burns best fits a defense that will allow him to play in space, so playing an outside linebacker in a 3-4 or even a weakside linebacker (leo) in the Seattle Style 4-3 Under Defenses are his best options. If Burns is able to further develop his pass rushing moves and improves his ability to take on blocks he has the chance to be elite. But it’s all about getting there." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Josh Allen SCHOOL: Kentucky CONFERENCE: SEC HT: 6’4/6'5 WT: 258/260 lbs D.O.B.: 7/13/97 Via Sports Reference: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/josh-allen-6.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Draft Network https://thedraftnetwork.com/2018/12/07/2019-nfl-draft-player-profile-josh-allen/ MARINO "Run Defense – Not an ideal candidate to regularly be tasked with setting the edge against offensive tackles and has noticeably better success vs tight ends. Eyes are often in the backfield, causing his pad level to rise and the lack of leverage is detrimental to his ability to maintain his fit. Has most of his success defending the run slashing gaps and filtering through contact. Offers outstanding range to close down distances and make plays outside the numbers. Pass Rush – Blend of burst, length and flexibility leads to regular success attacking the outside edge track. Vertical push puts major stress on the offensive tackles ability to reach his set points and keep pace. Does well to alter his stride lengths and use his feet to most effectively rush. More counters, better speed to power conversion and developing an inside move would take his already outstanding ability to the next level. Burst – Explosive out of his stance and is capable of winning with pure speed off the edge. Rapidly accelerates in space and offers terrific range. Illustrates a blazing second gear when closing in on the quarterback. Occasionally false steps out of his stance which if cleaned up, will make him even more consistently effective. Effort – Plays with a motor that consistently runs hot. Battles through contact and is willing to chase from distance. Developing more nuance with his counters will make accentuate his hot motor. Operates with urgency and makes his share of plays on account of hustle and will. Hand Technique – Showcases the ability to clear his pads and soften the outside rush angle. Can stand to be more assertive and violent with his hands. Still room for growth in terms of timing and placement with his hand combating. Flexibility – Loose in his hips and ankles which enable him to bend around the corner. Carries impressive speed through tight turns. Has fluid change of direction skills and is capable of springing outside to cut off running backs and quarterbacks rolling outside the pocket. Moves laterally with ease and is fluid in his coverage drops. Has exceptional range in coverage and consistently reaches his landmarks in zone coverage on account of his ability to fluidly drop and sink. Processing – Leaves some meat on the bone because he hasn’t fully developed his vision to read the blockers set and take advantage. Range in coverage drops is wonderful but will sometimes miss a route to his zone because he is so focused on reaching his landmarks. Does well to remain square as a backside run defender. Play Strength – Good but not great. Needs to get strong in the lower half to be a more consistent edge-setter against offensive tackles. Developing the ability to convert speed to power with more consistency would improve his pass rushing attack. Versatility – Has been tasked with numerous responsibilities and performs admirably. Capable of putting his hand in the dirt or as a stand up defender. Effective dropping into coverage and has outstanding pass rush ability. BEST TRAIT – Burst/Bend WORST TRAIT – Counters RED FLAGS – None Josh Allen’s burst, bend and length provides an exciting foundation to work from in becoming a high-impact pass rusher in the NFL. That said, there is still room to grow in terms developing counters, improving his vision and adding play strength that indicates an extremely high ceiling as he evolves as a player. Allen has already proven his ability to function with his hand in the dirt, as a stand up edge and dropping into coverage making him a scheme-versatile defender that would thrive in a defensive front that is multiple. Allen has the tools needed contribute right away in the NFL with the makings of a dynamic playmaker at his position by year three." CRABBS First Step Quickness – Natural explosiveness is evident at release of the snap. Wins with a lot of speed reps courtesy of acceleration through the arc. Getting out of stance can be further enhanced by eliminating an intermittent false step. Burst is present in linear and lateral situations. Hand Technique/Length – Placement in the run game is effective and allows for uprooting defenders with powerful upper body and angular attacks of the opponent’s leverage. Could afford to produce a bit more separation after landing a blow to ensure a clean avenue to scrape. Pass Rush Counters – Speed rush, forearm sweep, shallow rip are most predominantly used counters. Wins effectively with speed off the edge. Can still stand to improve the timing of his hand counter and add more violence to fully clear the hands. Will win reps in the NFL based off his speed/flexibility. Flexibility – Bendy. Fluid hips are showcased turning the corner and when asked with flipping to turn and run in pass coverage. Lower body flexibility is top tier and allows for very sharp corners to turn and eliminate leverage by blockers trying to wall off a rush. Run Defending – Most successful in a gap penetration role, is quick to step down and follow a pull, leading him to the mesh-point. Has the needed anchor to squat and set the edge, showing effective hand usage to pin down a block and locate the ball. Competitive Toughness – Clear leader of his defense and offers the effort to back it up. Has ample functional strength and plays with good leverage at the point of attack to squat and hold his ground against charging blockers up the field. Tackling – Intelligent player who looks to attack the football when closing in on the quarterback. Has superb mirroring skills in head up situations, can slide his feet and keep his pads framed on the ball carrier. Explosive finishing potential if sustaining forward momentum to the ball. Lateral Mobility – Rangy player. Especially impressive in situations stacked on the second level and tasked with scraping along the LOS to fill. Effective pursuit player and shows suddenness to jump down into a gap as play develops. Can cut across the face of over-setting OTs as a rusher. Stand Up Ability – Has been used in all phases of the game. Comfortable turning and running with receivers down the field and successfully gets eyes back to locate the football. Doesn’t have a great feel for routes peeling around him in peripherals. Legit ability to play in space. Football IQ – Versatility is through the roof, a testament to responsibilities he’s been trusted with and the mental processing required to work through reads successfully. Trusts his mobility to work him through tight creases and has taken a big step forward in final season this year. BEST TRAIT – Flexibility WORST TRAIT – Pass Rush Counters BEST FILM – Florida (2018) WORST FILM – Texas A&M (2018) RED FLAGS – None Josh Allen has made tremendous strides as a football player, transitioning from a promising athlete to an impressive player in all phases of his position. Allen’s speed/flexibility will translate to the NFL, although adding some more physical components (long arm, speed to power) to his pass rush repertoire will take him to his ceiling as a player. Allen projects best to a flexible defensive scheme, where his athleticism can shine on the edge or off the ball." LEDYARD Burst – Good first step out of a 2-point stance, covers ground quickly up the arc with long strides. Don’t know if his 40 will be anything special, but I think his first ten will be just fine. Slight recoil in his stance which can delay his first step by a split-second. Against Mississippi State worked from a 3-point stance on a handful of snaps and his get-off was jaw-dropping every play. May be an indication that his explosiveness is magnified with his hand in the dirt, something he didn’t do often at Kentucky. Bend – The progress he has made getting his hips and feet pointed to the pocket is truly amazing. Couldn’t corner at all in 2017, returned to school, added weight and still showed outstanding flexibility. Drops his shoulder fluidly to reduce surface area and win at the top of the arc. Bendy in the hips and can turn fairly tight corners to the pocket. Rush Moves – Among the biggest areas of improvement for him. Used his hands much better in 2018 than he did a year ago. Two-handed swats to win the edge became a go-to move. Does a good job of reducing his surface area while cornering, using his inside arm to keep his frame relatively clean around the edge. Flashed push-pull throughout the year that gave him several 1v1 wins. Long arm and cross chop could be deadly moves for him if he eventually adds them. Doesn’t convert speed-to-power very often, but I wouldn’t either with his other traits. Counters – Will run relentlessly at the edge instead of taking an inside path to the quarterback. Has to do a better job at converting speed-to-counter and winning back inside against oversets. Florida’s Jawaan Taylor overset on him all day, and Allen was too slow to work counter moves against him. Has all the tools with his burst and bend to force tackles deep in their set points and exploit the inside track to the quarterback. Run Defense – Has improved a lot at stacking-and-shedding, but will still get engulfed at times when he is caught unprepared. Most of the time fires hands to chest and gains early control of the rep, showing the strength to push-pull blockers off his frame. Can do a better job keeping his outside shoulder clean when setting the edge. Not the type of force defender that will re-set the line of scrimmage every play, but strong enough to get the job done 1v1 and fully capable in space as well. Does need to do a better job not getting too deep and maintaining proper depth to the line of scrimmage. Lateral Mobility – Maybe a sluggish laterally, but still more than athletic enough to play in space and not be a liability in any way. Change of direction does seem surprisingly un-explosive for a guy with his athletic gifts, although overall movement skills remain smooth and fully capable. Mental Processing/Vision – Asked to play from a ton of different alignments and execute a bevy of assignments for Kentucky, did the vase majority at a high level. Definitely still developing as a mental processor from snap-to-whistle, was a beat slow to find the ball and attack his gap when playing off the ball, which shouldn’t be super concerning for the NFL considering he’ll be on the edge. Needs to process quicker and step down when unblocked on the edge. Tackling/Finishing – Most concerning is when Allen arrives at the ball carrier and tosses a shoulder at him rather than wrap up, something I’ve seen a few times. Most of the time his form is good, and as a pass rusher he targets the football brilliantly. Consistently finds a way to finish even by getting one arm free and his hips around to swipe the quarterback in his release. Not a big hitter in the run game, but gets runners on the ground. Competitive Toughness – He plays a ton of snaps and he plays most of them very hard, but every so often he’ll take one off. His style of play is not overly physical, nor is physicality a concern. As he’s gotten stronger, his desire to grind out tough reps in the trenches has grown as well. Athleticism/Size – Size, length, build and athleticism all appear to be top-notch. Should be a winner at the Combine, where he really needs to kill 3-cone, 10-yard split and the jumps to ensure the transition of his style of play to the NFL. BEST TRAIT – Burst/Bend WORST TRAIT – Counters RED FLAGS – None In 51 career games as a Wildcat, Allen never failed to suit up, beginning his career as a special teams demon and ending it as the face of the program’s impressive rise. Many believed Allen would declare last year as a probably day two pick, but instead he returned to school, added weight and completely transformed his game. 18.5 tackles-for-loss, 14 sacks and five forced fumbles later, Allen is widely considered a first round lock and even a possible top ten pick. His game is certainly not all the way there yet, as his hands, variety of rush moves, counters and mental processing are all in need of further development. Allen’s natural traits can’t be taught however, and his progress as a pass rusher over the past season is stunning. He has the look of an annual double-digit sack artist if he maintains his current trajectory at the NFL level." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NFL Draft Geek https://www.nfldraftgeek.com/josh-allen-kentucky-scouting-report-video/ "Josh Allen Kentucky Scouting Report Video November 22, 2018 Brian Johannes Film Breakdown, Updated 0 It’s not too often that we have players in back to back drafts that have the same name, but it’s even more infrequent that both of those players would be first round picks. But that’s what we have here in a year after Wyoming quarterback Josh Allenwent 7th overall to the Buffalo Bills and now Kentucky outside linebacker Josh Allen is making his case to be a first round pick. Allen has been a sack artist throughout his career, but in his senior year he’s been practically unblockable with 10 sacks (as of this video) on the season so far and 24 1/2 over his career. On our Josh Allen Kentucky Scouting Report Video we’ll dive into the film and look to see why Allen has been so dominant while also looking to see what he needs to fix in his game when moving to the NFL. Josh Allen Kentucky Scouting Report Video
Clelin Ferrell SCHOOL: Clemson CONFERENCE: ACC HT: 6’5 WT: 260 lbs D.O.B.: 5/17/1997 Via Sports-Reference: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/clelin-ferrell-1.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Draft Network https://thedraftnetwork.com/2018/12/28/2019-nfl-draft-player-profile-clelin-ferrell/ MARINO "It’s not a matter of if Ferrell will be a first round draft pick, it’s about how high he will ultimately go. Checking numerous critical boxes in an EDGE prospect, Ferrell has the skill set of a coveted player next spring. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, Ferrell brings a dynamic athletic skill set to the table to pair with his ideal physical traits. Blessed with length and quickness, Ferrell knows how to use his gifts on the field and make plays. As a pass rusher, Ferrell illustrates multiple ways to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback but it all stems from his first step quickness and economy of motion to get home. His steps and stride length are in unison with his plan of attack and it makes him highly effective. His go-to move is a chop-rip that is executed with precise timing to counter the offensive tackles punch and diminishing his surface area that enables him to corner the edge track. Ferrell also showcases a potent spin and inside moves to complement his variety of hand techniques to soften angles and get after the passer. Ferrell does well to read the blockers set and appropriately attack blocks. He is first with his hands and knows how to keep his pads clean while establishing a half man relationship with blockers. He sharply changes directions and is capable of making plays out to the sideline on the perimeter. When defending the run, Ferrell showcases excellent gap discipline to maintain his run fits. He does well to set a firm edge while maintaining outside leverage with the ability to also slash through gaps. He has good instincts as to play design and where the ball is going in relationship to blocking schemes. Entering his third season as a full-time starter after missing his senior year of high school due to an ACL tear and redshirting during his first, Ferrell is primed for a monster season of harassing ACC quarterbacks." CRABBS "First Step Quickness –Looks to have a little extra burst in 2018. Isn’t reliant on his release off the line but does possess enough quickness and snap anticipation to get out of the blocks quickly and stress tackles on vertical pass sets. Above average but not necessarily elite ground gained at the snap. Hand Technique/Length –Hand placement is top shelf. Gets effective fits with length and consistently establishes first contact to keep his forward push as a rusher and/or reset the LOS. Shedding skills are strong due to good awareness of hitting the wrist and popping hands off of his frame. Pass Rush Counters –Brings variety and well timed strikes. Flexible in his rush plans and can long arm tackles around the edge, rip/dip his way through a soft angle, work back inside with an arm over/shallow swim…pace of play is not a problem and effectively takes visual feedback to string together moves. Flexibility –Lacks elite bend but does offer cornering skills and enough lean to drop his pad level underneath the hands of an OT off the edge and play through contact. Linear flexibility via hip drop and leverage anchoring at the LOS is notably better. Run Defending –Stout and carries a lot of pop in his hands to negate drive blocks into his lap. Quick to process when left unblocked and does well to step down and diminish angles. Will wrong-arm pullers to slip inside and disrupt the ball carrier with good strength and effectiveness. Competitive Toughness –Love his work at the LOS. Effective in stacking blockers and is very stout against the run. Takes contact well and is capable of plugging up gaps vs. linemen with momentum as pullers. Does well in second effort plays to peel back to the pocket and generate pressure. Tackling –Lengthy, rangy tackler who carries ample influence on the edge. Capable of sustaining contain and integrity with outside arm even once engaged with a blocker. Confident in closing angles to step into his challenges with speed and forcibly jar the ball carrier. Lateral Mobility –Plenty of range for a 4-3 DE, flips his hips and getting width to avoid conceding a soft corner. When left unattended has mobility to crash hard off of the back side and get back into the ball carrier’s hip, needs to be accounted for in blocking when running away from his side. Stand Up Ability –Tasked with playing flexed out vs. trip to jam the LOS, play flat coverage in zone, rush from 2 pt. stance from the second level. Functional athleticism is adequate to continue reps in these areas at the next level but he’s a player you want playing often with hand down. Football IQ –Savvy player who shows high processing speed against both the pass and run. Understands his strengths as a player and plays true to them, will win with power to diminish angles but is willing to hit finesse when tackles overset him or are slow out of the blocks. BEST TRAIT – Hand Technique WORST TRAIT – Stand Up Ability BEST FILM – Texas A&M (2018) WORST FILM – Virginia Tech (2017) RED FLAGS – 2014 ACL Tear Clelin Ferrell projects as a high impact defensive end at the NFL level. Ferrell is physically capable of exploding out of his three point stances but prefers to win with his hands on blockers as compared to relying on speed. His technical prowess, hands and transitional skills as a rusher will allow him to defeat well placed tackles off the edge. An ace run defender, Ferrell is a three down player immediately who should easily step into a starting role." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NFL Draft Geek https://www.nfldraftgeek.com/clelin-ferrell-scouting-report-video-summer/ "Clelin Ferrell Scouting Report Video | Summer June 22, 2018 Brian Johannes Film Breakdown, Updated 0 On this episode of the NFL Draft Geek Film Room takes a look at Clemson Tigers Defensive End giving a video Clelin Ferrell Scouting Report. Watch as Brian Johannes highlights what Ferrell does well and why Ferrell could be one of the best pass rushers whenever he enters the NFL Draft. Clelin Ferrell Scouting Report Video "
Jachai Polite SCHOOL: Florida HT: 6-2 WT: 240/260 lbs D.O.B.: 03/30/98 Via Sports-Reference: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jachai-polite-1.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Draft Network https://thedraftnetwork.com/2019/01/04/2019-nfl-draft-player-profile-jachai-polite/ LEDYARD "Burst – Has a slight recoil from a 2-point stance that delays his initial get-off enough to limit his first step explosiveness. After that he’s a blur. If he can eliminate that false step, might have more juice up the arc than any edge rusher in the class. Extremely fast up the arc and can push tackles into oversets right away. Couple times he put his hands in the dirt, the get-off was biblical. Bend – When the edge is soft, he can bend it tight to the quarterback. Where he struggles is bending through contact at his light weight. Doesn’t quite create the force at the top of the arc to power through a punch while turning the corner, can get pushed upfield as a result. When he beats the tackle clean however, shows the hip flexibility and ankle bend to tighten quickly and crush passers. Drops his shoulder to finish. Does a good job rotating his hips at the top of the arc to minimize surface area, athletic enough to swing his whole body around and scrape for a strip-sack. Rush Moves – Way more diverse than just a simple speed-bend rusher. Can ice pick tackles out of nowhere, also shows the ability to cross-chop and finish. Does an outstanding job of lulling tackles to sleep with stutter steps and is really good at slipping around contact. Transitions from stab to rip or shoulder dip quickly. Can’t convert speed-to-power, and if he gets gripped up, the fight is usually over. Lack of length and power definitely limit him at times. Counters – Ability to convert speed to counters is top-notch. Ridiculously sudden spin move that left offensive tackles clutching for air. Knows how to setup his counters by selling speed up the arc. Body control is top-notch. Crafty in his movements and constantly works back to the depth of the quarterback as a rusher. Run Defense – Super slight frame that will get overwhelmed at times in the trenches. Physically can’t matchup with power/technique types, but don’t tell him that. Plays with a physicality and nastiness in the run game that adds enough punch to his game to hold his own. Active and well-placed hands shed blocks better than you think. May give a little ground off the snap, but typically works off contact quickly to defend his gap. Outstanding range and constantly makes plays to the boundary. Ability to fend off blockers while continuing to move laterally and string out perimeter runs is top-notch. Takes tight ends personally, although Isaac Nauta got him a few times. Might get knocked on his butt a time or two, but has ability to slip blockers that will allow him to create negative plays too. Lateral Mobility – All-around movement skills are top-notch. Adjusts his angle on the fly and will re-route quickly to track the ball. Able to change directions in space quickly, rarely dropped into coverage but clearly has the traits to do so. Not many backs could outrun him to the perimeter. Stop/start action is best in the class. Mental Processing/Vision – Consistently steps down in unblocked situations to wrong-arm pullers. You can argue his effectiveness in those situations (he doesn’t blow blockers up), but not his processing or effort. Thinks the game fast as a pass rusher. Responds to bad sets appropriately and sees chips coming. Works back inside to avoid getting doubled up on the edge. Finds the ball quickly and gets in pursuit. Occasionally gets too deep against the run and will expand his gap unnecesarily. Tackling/Finishing – Not the biggest or longest tackler, but consistently brings it and finishes decisively. Outstanding at targeting the football during sacks, six strip sacks this season and several more that were so close to being fumbles. Makes sure quarterbacks feel it. Competitive Toughness – Plays with his hair on fire and makes tons of plays in pursuit. Aggressive and physical, despite winning more as a finesse pass rusher. Effort and motor are consistently top-notch. Athleticism/Size – Weight and small overall frame are concerns. Appears to lack bulk all over his frame and doesn’t have ideal length for the position. Should test as one of the top all-around athletes in the class at this position. BEST TRAIT – Arc Speed/Bend WORST TRAIT – POA Run Defense RED FLAGS – None Jachai Polite is being billed as a pass rush specialist, and while it’s true that is often how Florida deployed him, he has played against the run plenty this season and more than held his own. What Polite lacks as a point-of-attack powerhouse he makes up for with good technique, exceptional range and the ability to slip blocks and make plays behind the line of scrimmage. Yes, I’d like to see the NFL put some more meat on his bones, but Polite plays sudden and physical, which are better traits to have than bulk. His pass rush game is pretty polished, and his ability to win with speed and bend opens up inside counters all day. NFL teams may overlook him because of his frame, but the traits are here for Polite to be a double-digit sack guy at the next level. The one catch? He might not be as scheme diverse as the other top guys due to his size limiting him to a 3-4 outside linebacker role." CRABBS "PROS: Jachai Polite illustrates flashes of brilliance as a speed rusher. Capable of releasing with suddenness from a two point stance and gaining large amounts of turf in steps two and three in order to gain leverage on the edge. Athletic ability translates beyond short area explosiveness and into lateral mobility and slipping blocks at the point of attack as well. Polite shows understanding of how and when to fold back inside against over-committed blockers and gain penetration into protection. Polite possesses enough length to continue to develop his long arm ability and become a better speed to power rusher. Projecting through rough edges currently, Polite has the necessary physical tools to become a special pass rusher and impact player. There is enough functional strength present to stack up blockers at the point of attack and Polite is effective holding outside contain. Against the running game he can be counted on to execute his primary responsibility. CONS: Jachai Polite currently has too many lulls between the splash plays and will need to focus on further bettering his consistency as a player. Effort and motor are terrific, although seemingly a half-step faster on money downs and when the stakes are highest. Furthermore, Polite would be well served to continue developing his immediate hand counters. Currently too reliant on his first step, Polite can create much more room to slash and penetrate with more proactive attacks with his hands." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Illustrated piece on Jachai: https://www.si.com/college-football/2018/10/23/jachai-polite-florida-gators-mom-twitter-nfl-draft "Jachai Polite Has the Drive and the Talent to Make His Twitter Handle a Reality By ANDY STAPLES October 23, 2018 GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Jachai Polite knows exactly what he wants to do. He also knows exactly what he never wants to do again. We’ll start with the latter. Two years ago, Polite was a freshman defensive lineman at Florida. Chris Rumph, Polite’s position coach at the time, knew he had something special. But Rumph needed to find a way to get Polite on the field. The Gators needed help at three technique, the defensive tackle who lines up on the outside eye of one guard. So Polite, who weighed 260 pounds coming out of Mainland High in Daytona Beach, Fla., hit the weights, ate a few more of his beloved Swedish Fish and pushed his body close to 270 pounds. That got him in the game, where he frequently found himself trying to break through 650 pounds of double-teaming offensive linemen. “It feels like two pickup trucks. You know, the ones with hooks on the back,” Polite says, laughing now at the memory. “F-150 Super Duty trucks, just going fast. It’s hard to fight them.” The former Florida coaching staff knew that was a temporary situation and moved Polite back to his natural defensive end spot last season, but the experience left Polite with a burning desire to make sure he played so well off the edge that no one considered moving him inside again. He stacked that goal atop the goal he set when he created his Twitter handle as a ninth grader. Those twin aims helped push Polite to slim down and harness his natural explosiveness to become one of the nation’s most disruptive edge rushers. Going into Saturday’s game against Georgia in Jacksonville, the 6'2", 245-pound Polite leads the Gators with seven sacks and leads the nation with four forced fumbles. He also seems well on his way to making his Twitter handle a reality. That day when he created the account as a high school freshman, Polite thought about the thing he wanted most and typed it after the @ symbol. To those who followed, he became @RetireMoms. Katrina Simmons didn’t know at first that the oldest of her four children had made his social media identity his desire to allow her to retire. Simmons doesn’t have social media. She has no time for that mess. She works as a housekeeper at a hotel on the beachside of Daytona Beach, and when she finishes her shifts she returns home and styles hair. She had the second job first. She learned to braid hair at age 12 while living in Ormond Beach. By 15, she had loyal paying clients. Sometimes one head can take up to 10 hours, and Simmons’s clients keep coming back because she takes the time to get it right. If Polite makes it to the NFL and makes enough money to give his mom an easier life, he probably won’t completely fulfill the goal stated in his Twitter bio. Simmons might quit the hotel job, but she can’t disappoint those customers who rely on her to keep their coiffures in order. Polite credits his mother for his work ethic and his attitude on the field. It was that attitude that allowed him to make the play that introduced him to the nation and endeared him to his teammates. Early in the fourth quarter of last year’s Tennessee game, a slightly heavier Polite rushed upfield toward quarterback Quinten Dormady only to realize that the Volunteers had set up a screen pass to tailback John Kelly. Polite was on Tennessee’s 35-yard line when he realized he’d been duped, so he spun and began chasing Kelly, who had a six-yard head start. “If not me, who?” Polite remembers thinking to himself as he stalked Kelly from behind. He also remembers thinking something else: “If he keeps going full speed, I’m not going to catch him.” Fortunately for Polite, some traffic appeared in the form of his teammates. “Luckily, he had to break some tackles,” Polite says. Polite nearly caught Kelly at the Florida 49, but the back turned on the jets. So Polite kept sprinting down the right sideline hoping for another chance. It came when Kelly had to juke a tackler at the Florida 40. Polite ran past the decelerating Kelly and turned left. When Kelly hit the gas again, he ran smack into Polite at the Florida 31. Polite had raced a tailback for 34 yards, won, and then planted the back into the turf. Watching at home, Polite’s uncle Lawrence Martin IV pulled out his phone and recorded the play. He then posted it on Twitter. “And it went viral,” Franklin’s sister Simmons says. As of Tuesday morning, the tweet has been retweeted 16,060 times and liked 37,821 times. The video has been viewed 2.37 million times, and it gets a bump every time Polite makes a big play this season. “It just went crazy,” Martin says. “I had to cut my notifications off.” Martin knew he was seeing something special. He may be biased because he’s the younger brother of Polite’s mother, but he starred on the offensive line at Seabreeze High in Daytona Beach and then played at South Florida. He has spent the past few years shuttling between Canada and various professional indoor football leagues. Martin is seven years Polite’s senior, so he acted as an older brother to Polite. When Martin was in high school, he couldn’t envision the tall elementary schooler who always tagged along as a future NFL player. “He thought he was Kevin Durant,” Martin says. Martin felt the same way about himself until late in his high school career when he realized that at 6'3", football could take him much further than basketball. Polite was in the same boat. He starred as a defensive end and as a punter* at Mainland, the school that produced New York Jets defensive end (and former USC star) Leonard Williams. During the recruiting process, Polite leaned heavily toward heading west to play for the Trojans as well. But several branches of his mother’s family live in Gainesville, and Simmons impressed upon him how much easier college life would be if he had a support system nearby. He listened. *Yes, Polite was an excellent high school punter. He and current Florida punter Tommy Townsend learned from the same kicking coach. So far, there are no plans for a trick play that would put Townsend and Polite on the field ready to punt at the same time. “I was thinking about it,” Polite says. “But I don’t think coach is ever thinking about it. But it would be a dream play.” No matter where Polite played, he would have made the same impact as long as the coaching staff realized his ideal position and size. He’s at his best in the mid-240s, screaming off the edge. When he was bigger, he didn’t feel so explosive. Now? “I’m just gliding almost,” he says. That has allowed him to make plays like this one from the LSU game. The Tigers had driven immediately down the field and scored, and their second possession also appeared headed for the end zone when Polite squeezed between left tackle Saahdiq Charles and left guard Adrian Magee and crushed quarterback Joe Burrow. The ball squirted loose and Florida recovered. The Gators had been headed for a 14-point deficit, but the momentum swing allowed the Florida defense to gather itself and gave the Florida offense some time to work out its own kinks. A few days after that game, Florida coach Dan Mullen was asked if Polite reminded him of any players he’d worked alongside before. “He’s really explosive off the end,” Mullen said. “I’ve been around guys who had some different deals with power and length. [Former Gator] Carlos Dunlap had unbelievable length. I had Preston Smith [at Mississippi State] who had great length with explosion. But not just the pure quickness and the burst ... that I’ve seen with Polite.” Mullen paused, searching his memory bank to make sure he didn’t leave out anyone whose explosiveness matched Polite. Then he remembered that he spent the 1998 season as a graduate assistant at Syracuse. That was Dwight Freeney’s freshman year. At the time, the freshmen had their own workouts early in camp and graduate assistants had to hold the blocking pads during the workouts. “I had to block,” Mullen said. “It went real well.” Polite, Mullen said, “has got that type of explosion.” Freeney recently wrapped a 16-season career in the NFL. If Polite can come close to that, Simmons will enjoy a fruitful (semi-)retirement. “It kind of seems unreal,” Polite says. “But hopefully I can really make that happen. That would be very cool.”" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NFL Draft Geek https://www.nfldraftgeek.com/jachai-polite-scouting-notes-exploding-onto-the-scene/ "Going into the 2018 season the name Jachai Polite was not a well known name, even to some of the most dialed in NFL Draft writers. But nobody can beat themselves up as Polite was stuck behind some veteran players and was dealing with a few nagging injuries that limited him to play in only seven games. But a change to the 3-4 defense, dropping 15 pounds and being healthy have all contributed to Polite breaking out. After watching his tape against Mississippi State that saw him finish with two sacks and plenty of QB hurries/hits it’s time to share what makes Polite so exciting in our Jachai Polite Scouting Notes. Jachai Polite Scouting Notes Explosiveness Florida DE Jachai Polite showing the speed and flexibility to get around the corner and finish with the sack #NFLDraft #Gators The first thing that stands out when you watch Polite on tape is how explosive his movements are. From the snap Polite explodes off the ball and immediately puts pressure on the offensive tackle to be on balance and get their hands on him. Polite has the speed to get to the edge but if he doesn’t his ability to change directions quickly make him very difficult to block. Even when Polite isn’t rushing the passer he uses his acceleration to close fast on the ball and never seems to far away from making a play on the ball. Bend/Flexibility Florida DE Jachai Polite uses his speed to get to the edge of the RT and then ankle flexibility to turn the corner to get a hand on the ball to affect the pass #NFLDraft #Gators It is one thing to be a speed rusher, but Polite’s ability to turn the corner is why he has six sacks already this season and isn’t getting pushed past the pocket on a regular basis. A big part of his game is getting to the edge with his explosive burst and then has the ability to bend at the ankle to turn around the corner of tackle getting into the backfield and attack the quarterback. Polite also has shown the ability to sink his hips and bend around offensive tackles which the elite pass rushers have shown. In the Mississippi State game he was able to get low avoiding the punch of the right tackle and then turn around the corner and finish a sack. Power Normally a player who is 6’2 242lbs isn’t know for their power, but that’s not the case here. Polite generates power from his explosiveness and uses it well to take on blockers in the run game and keep himself free. By making this contact he’s able to keep the tackles from grabbing a hold of him and thus allowing him to be free and attack the ball. In space Polite is able to use his accelration to build up speed and lay some big hits on quarterbacks and running backs. Outlook For as good as Polite was against Mississippi State, his performance against LSU was even better as he was practically unblockable. It is too bad that Florida doesn’t play Alabama this season (baring the Gators winning the SEC West) which would allow us to see Polite match up against #1 offensive tackle Jonah Williams, but their games against Georgia and South Carolina should allow us to see him against some good competition. Now Polite still needs to improve his hand usage and develop a couple of go to pass rushing moves. Polite is quickly rising up the draft rankings (already my third rated edge defender), but he could rise even more. Based on this trajectory it (and if he declares) a top 10 selection seems likely and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him as the second edge pass rusher taken in the 2019 NFL Draft." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Drafttek http://www.drafttek.com/NFL-Draft-Scouting-Reports/Scouting-Report-Jachai-Polite.asp "Evaluated by: James Siebers jsiebers1003@gmail.com Jachai Polite has an exceptional athletic profile and should have the juice to be one of the first pure pass rushers to be taken this April. We have Polite listed at 6'2" and 260 lbs, though the Florida Gators official website has him weighing in at 242 lbs - we await the Combine weigh-in. Polite is considered to be undersized and may need to add bulk to hold up against the run. However, Polite has a rare combination of both vertical and lateral explosion. His quickness to the edge and ability to pursue to the sideline make him an extraordinarily intriguing prospect. Polite projects as a pass rush specialist early in his career. He has experience rushing the passer from both a two-point and a three-point stance. Though his first step as a stand-up rusher is a tad delayed, Polite gets to full speed quickly and has the ability to stress the edge on a regular basis. While Polite struggles to convert speed-to-power, he's shown the ability to consistently execute inside counters which include a devastating spin move. Due to a lack of bulk and length, there are some concerns about Polite's ability to hold up at the point of attack. Polite was routinely able to execute contain responsibilities at Florida, but he can struggle to disengage from blockers. The majority of his negative yardage plays in the run game were the result of his ability to avoid and slip blocks. Polite has plus range with the ability to pursue the ball carrier and make plays at the sideline. Even as a player that routinely wins with finesse, Polite plays the game with an edge. Polite's motor is always running, and he displays a willingness to play the game with aggression and physicality. He recognizes keys and processes quickly. Even with a consistent motor, Polite often finds a way to dial it up in high-leverage situations. Bottom Line Polite put up incredible numbers in his final season in Gainesville, racking up 11 sacks, 19.5 TFL, and 6 forced fumbles. His best fit is likely as an edge rusher in a 3-4 scheme, though Polite could potentially project as a 4-3 OLB or even a 4-3 DE in the right system. Polite's lack of size may limit him as pass rush specialist on obvious passing downs early on, but his athletic profile indicates that he may be able to excel in that role. Polite's rare athletic skills almost guarantee that he'll be selected in the top half of RD1, and he could be one of the Draft's top risers with a strong showing at the Combine. NFL player oomparison Takkarist McKinley, Atlanta Falcons (2017 RD1 Pick 26) Strengths - Freak athlete - Excellent burst, especially from a three-point stance - Explosive both vertically and laterally - Varied pass rush moves - spin move is particularly effective - Great motor Weaknesses - Lacks length desired for the EDGE - Can be overwhelmed due to lack of size and power - Can struggle to make plays once engaged James Siebers January 13, 2019" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
