Jachai Polite performs a drill Wednesday at Florida's annual Pro Day. (Photo: Courtney Culbreath/UAA Communications)
Taylor and Polite on Different Paths Toward NFL Draft
Wednesday, March 27, 2019 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – One has trended upward. The other has trended downward. Three months removed from standing alongside their Gators teammates during a victory celebration in Atlanta, Jawaan Taylor and Jachai Polite now stand at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Taylor is the underclassmen on the rise, the player scouts and analysts are buzzing about as the NFL Draft approaches. Taylor has gone from a respectable prospect at the start of his junior season to a possible top 10 pick in April's draft.
At UF's Pro Day on Wednesday, someone asked Gators defensive lineman Cece Jefferson about the potential of Taylor staying nearby and landing with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"Does Jacksonville have the No. 1 pick? Because that's where he needs to go,'' Jefferson responded. "That's a grown man. That's the only guy I almost broke my wrist when I punched. His chest is like steel. This guy was made in a lab."
The 6-foot-5, 314-pound Taylor flashed his well-conditioned physique Wednesday, doing nothing to damage his draft stock as he bench-pressed 225 pounds 24 times and then showed off his raw power and quick feet in offensive line drills led by New England offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia.
A three-year starter for the Gators, Taylor has evolved from an overweight high school prospect to rising star after announcing he would forego his final season of eligibility and enter the draft within hours after Florida beat Michigan in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 29.
"I didn't have any second thoughts,'' Taylor said. "I went into the draft with a lot of confidence in myself and just pretty much knew I was going to work hard and had to work hard to get where I'm at now."
Shortly after the bowl game, Taylor established camp in Pensacola and began training under longtime offensive line coach Bob Palcic, a three-time NFL All-Pro during his playing career, at EXOS Human Performance.
The results were obvious to those in attendance Wednesday.
"It's great to see. He looks better than he did after his last game," Gators head coach Dan Mullen said. "He's a guy that's taken it and really developed himself with his athleticism and grown to put himself in a position to be a top 10 pick in this year's draft."
Jawaan Taylor continued his strong pre-NFL Draft training with a solid showing at Wednesday's UF Pro Day. (Photo: UAA Communications)
Meanwhile, Polite arrived in front of representatives from all 32 NFL teams under the microscope for very different reasons Wednesday.
At the combine in Indianapolis, Polite performed poorly in the 40-yard dash (4.84 seconds) and appeared noticeably heavier than during his junior season when he had 11 sacks and led the nation in six forced fumbles. Polite also made headlines for his perceived lack of preparation and understanding of the intense interview process at the combine.
"I just wasn't ready mentally,'' he said.
Surrounded by a horde of reporters following his workout at Pro Day, Polite acknowledged he wasn't at his best in Indy. He said he showed up with a hamstring injury and 16 pounds heavier (258) than his 242-pound playing weight at Florida. Polite hurt his hamstring prior to the combine while training for the 40 and said he put on the extra weight to prepare for the bigger, stronger, faster NFL.
Polite's breakout season with the Gators elevated his draft stock dramatically heading into the combine, with many projections placing him in the upper half of the first round. After the combine, many dropped him from the first round into the second or even third round.
Polite was on a mission Wednesday.
"I had to prove that I could come out here and compete because it wasn't that good of a combine for me, which we all know,'' he said. "I just wanted to improve and try to get my hamstring better."
Polite weighed in at 254 pounds, four pounds lighter than at the combine. He started slowly, running a 4.96 on his first 40 attempt. He tweaked his hamstring and did not run his second 40 but did compete in positional drills later in the day.
"I didn't feel 100 [percent], but I felt good enough to compete,'' he said.
What impact did Wednesday's performance have on Polite's draft stock? That remains uncertain. While some teams will likely drop Polite down their draft boards, others might consider him a steal if he continues to get in better shape for individual workouts.
Those who know what Polite can do best remain confident in his ability.
"He's been a great player, a great teammate,'' Taylor said. "I love Jachai. I know he works hard. Wherever he goes in draft, I'm gonna stay rooting for him."
Mullen only coached Polite for one season but saw a special player who became a dominant force as Florida went from 4-7 to 10-3.
"The most important number is how fast you play on the field,'' Mullen said. "I think he put up some great numbers doing that out on the field for us."
To Polite's credit, he took ownership of his less-than-stellar appearance at the combine. He said when deciding to return for his senior season or enter the draft, he relied heavily on the advice of his mother and a pair of uncles who have been his primary influences growing up.
More than anything, the combine experience revealed how different the NFL is than college.
"It's been pretty tough, but it's a major learning experience for me, something I've never been through in my life,'' he said. "I just keep learning every day. Nobody in my family has been through anything like this, so I had nobody to help me, really, other than my agent. But I never knew how serious and how mentally tough you had to be for this moment. But I've learned from it and I'm doing better now."
For two players who at times lined up against each other at UF practices, Taylor and Polite took different paths after walking off that victory stage in Atlanta.
The draft starts four weeks from Thursday. Taylor appears a lock to be selected high in the first round. Polite remains hopeful it's not too late for him.
"[The negativity] put a big chip on my shoulder,'' he said. "But I'm used to adversity in my life. It just makes me grind harder."
