Pats Pulpit
Previewing the Patriots cornerback heading into his first season in the NFL.
Cornerback was a sneaky need on the New England Patriots’ roster entering the 2025 offseason, and they made sure to address it. Besides handing out a big-money deal to veteran free agent Carlton Davis, the team also brought in a handful of rookies to compete for depth spots. Among them is Jordan Polk.
Name: Jordan Polk
Position: Cornerback
Jersey number: 39
Opening day age: 24 (2/2/2001)
Measurements: 5’11”, 189 lbs, 78 7/8” wingspan, 33 3/8” arm length, 8 5/8” hand size, 4.52s 40-yard dash, 7.10s 3-cone drill, 4.34s short shuttle, 30” vertical jump, 10’1” broad jump, 12 bench press reps, 4.61 Relative Athletic Score
NFL: New England Patriots (2025-) | College: Texas A&M University-Commerce (2019-23), Texas State (2024)
Despite offering experience and versatility as a cornerback/safety hybrid, Polk flew under the radar coming out of Lamar High School in Arlington, TX. He ended up joining Texas A&M University-Commerce (which was renamed to East Texas A&M in 2024) as a no-star recruit in 2019 and ended up spending five years with the Lions.
Polk transferred to Texas State in 2024 to add 13 more games to his tally. Over the total course of his six-year college career, he appeared in 39 games with 26 starts and registered two interceptions as well as six forced fumbles with two recoveries.
Polk was not selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, but signed a rookie free agent deal with the Patriots shortly thereafter.
Strengths: Despite average height for a cornerback, Polk offers impressive length. His 78 7/8-inch wingspan has him in the 91 percentile for his position group, with his 33 3/8-inch arm length putting him in the 95 percentile. He combines his long reach with a powerful and targeted punch, allowing him to force six fumbles over the course of his career and to stay competitive at the catch point. A physical player, Polk also has had some good production as a blitzer (5 career sacks) and improved his tackling each season in college.
Weaknesses: While he does have some advantages due to his length, Polk is only an adequate athlete overall at the cornerback position. He lacks any standout traits both when it comes to linear movements and change of direction, and possesses average burst, suddenness or reactionary quickness. His ball production as a coverage defender also was nothing to write home about, with Polk intercepting only two passes in six seasons.
Stats: 13 games (13 starts) | 704 defensive snaps, 49 special teams snaps | 69 tackles, 10 missed tackles (12.7%), 5.5 TFLs, 4 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries | 44 targets, 33 catches (75.0%), 317 yards, 2 PBUs | 9 quarterback pressures (2 sacks, 5 hits, 2 hurries) | 1 special teams tackle, 0 missed tackles
Season recap: After spending the first five years of his college career at Texas A&M University-Commerce, Polk decided to take advantage of...
