The New England Patriots had intended to secure a wide receiver earlier than the 37th pick in the draft, but their plans didn’t materialize. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, they had proposed a trade with the Buffalo Bills for the 32nd pick, aiming to potentially select either Keon Coleman from Florida State or Xavier Legette from South Carolina.
However, the Bills ultimately traded the pick to the Carolina Panthers, who chose Legette. Subsequently, the Bills picked Coleman with the 33rd pick in the second round.
This turn of events led the Patriots to select Ja’Lynn Polk from Washington with the 37th pick. Polk, though not as highly ranked as Legette or Coleman, is seen as a promising addition to the team’s wide receiver corps. Polk himself expressed enthusiasm about joining the Patriots, emphasizing his passion for football and his readiness to contribute positively to the team.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73269752/usa_today_22258771.0.jpg)
Polk’s college performance has been commendable, particularly in his last season where he recorded 69 receptions for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns, a significant improvement from his 2022 stats of 41 catches for 694 yards and six touchdowns.
At Washington, Ja’Lynn Polk Made One Patriots Connection
During his tenure at Washington, Polk established a connection with the Patriots through Junior Adams, a former Huskies receivers coach who is now the offensive coordinator at Oregon. Adams had previously collaborated with Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne back in 2013 at Eastern Washington. According to Polk, Bourne participated in at least one Zoom call with Adams and the Huskies receivers.
Polk recounted, “He came in and provided us with valuable advice on the importance of hard work, continual improvement of our skills, and striving to enhance our performance every day.” Polk expressed eagerness to join Bourne, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and other teammates to learn from their success and collectively achieve success together. He emphasized his enthusiasm and readiness to contribute and make plays alongside them.
