New England Patriots - NESN.com
Not much went right for the New England Patriots in 2024. While they appear to have found their quarterback of the future, Drake Maye, with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, their second pick from that draft class, wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk, struggled from the jump during his rookie season.
With the Patriots’ wide receiver room needing a boost, the front office selected Polk with the No. 37 overall pick in hopes he could emerge as a contributor right out of the gate. Instead, he never really found his way in New England’s woeful offense.
While Polk played in 15 games, his impact was minimal. During that time, he caught just 12 passes for 87 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Considering how he played 45% of the team’s offensive snaps, Polk was arguably the least productive wide receiver in the entire league last year.
Entering the 2025 campaign, Polk’s status with the Pats is up in the air, which is a rare thing to say about a second-round pick who was selected just last year. Per his latest social media post, it sounds like Polk has big plans for his sophomore season.
“Gone respect it sooner or later,” Polk captioned his most recent post on Instagram.
Polk made a name for himself in college with the Washington Huskies, as he helped them make it to the National Championship Game in 2023 when he caught 69 passes for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns.
Polk has the potential to become one of Maye’s top options in the passing game for the long-term future. After his miserable rookie season, though, it’s fair to wonder whether or not he’s going to have a spot for himself in New England’s crowded wide receiver room.
For now, Polk is continuing to prepare for training camp, which is under two weeks away. Once he hits the field, he’s going to have to prove his worth, or else the team could decide to move on from him just one year after drafting him.
