Why Ja'Lynn Polk's ability plot makes him correct fit for Drake Maye

Why Ja’Lynn Polk’s ability plot makes him correct fit for Drake Maye in the initiating regarded on NBC Sports actions Boston

The Novel England Patriots badly wanted an infusion of talent at wide receiver this offseason, and they addressed that weak point early in the 2024 NFL Draft by selecting Washington wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk in the 2nd spherical.

Polk used to be the No. 2 wideout in a high-powered Huskies offense final season. He tallied occupation highs of 69 receptions, 1,159 yards and 9 touchdowns in 15 video games for a Washington team that reached the College Football Playoff Nationwide Championship Game.

NBC Sports actions analyst Connor Rogers only in the near past joined the Next Pats Podcast with Phil Perry to chat about what Polk brings to the Patriots and how he matches with rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

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“(Polk used to be) wide receiver No. 5 for me in a loaded class and any individual I knew about two weeks before the draft who Novel England used to be locked in on in the 2nd spherical, because I trust they noticed his abilities extra or less becoming what they favor to fabricate,” Rogers said.

“Now with Polk, it be so droll how omitted he became at some level of this class because he’s no longer the finest guy on this planet nonetheless enough dimension. He’s no longer a slot-easiest player. He’s no longer the quickest guy on this planet, nonetheless he’s got a great deal of bolt.

“However many of the issues with Polk, in an era the assign apart we’re constantly making an strive to quantify issues and making an strive to consist of analytics in our route of — and there could be a great deal of correct analytics on Polk, nonetheless many of the issues with Polk that produce him this form of nice prospect you can’t quantify, and that is the choice and the need to switch over the center of the field and produce performs that moral a lot of guys couldn’t fabricate. They moral haven’t got that in them.

“The DNA, the focus, a number of of the catches he made, it be moral pure talent, focus of catching the soccer. It be one in every of the uncommon issues I’ve viewed in scouting over the final couple of years is the devaluing of finishing performs. And it blows my mind because might perchance perchance enjoy to you can’t manufacture performs persistently, that you just might perchance perchance perchance be never going to be a consistent NFL circulate-catcher.

“And Polk is this form of natural circulate-catcher with nice focus, nice body retain a watch on. I trust the route running has taken some vast-time steps. He’s popping out of an offense coached by Ryan Grubb, who’s now the offensive coordinator in Seattle, the assign apart these receivers were asked to fabricate plenty, and plenty used to be achieve on their plate, whether or no longer it used to be playing internal and begin air, working vertical ideas, working over the center of the field, setting them up for urge-after-get opportunities.”

Pass-catching is no longer Polk’s easiest thrilling talent. He excels at a lot of totally different aspects of the plot, alongside side blocking.

“And right here’s moderately bonus about Polk. I device he used to be the finest urge-blocking wide receiver in the draft, moral pound-for-pound energy,” Rogers said. “It be out of the ordinary — they would use him in motion and revel in him poke real up via the A and B hole and take on linebackers. I mean, that tells you regarding the DNA of the player.

“And that is the explanation totally different thing, the DNA of the player. One of my favorite gamers I talked to at the mix, he used to be fully cherished by each person in that Washington program. You’re never going to query who the hardest worker in the wide receiver room is when Polk is there since it be going to be him.

“He moral matches the future with Drake Maye below center so properly — a center-of-the-field thrower with a guy who constantly works in between the numbers and makes refined performs.

“I’m satisfied Polk, at the tip of the day, wasn’t omitted by the NFL, nonetheless it no doubt felt devour at some level of the scouting community, he wasn’t favored enough at some level of this route of.

Furthermore in this episode:

Phil shares his three “encouraging” and three “retain an peer on that” observations from Patriots’ rookie camp
Connor Rogers joins Phil to crumple why he had Drake Maye ranked as his 2nd-easiest QB in this year’s draft
How referring to is the team’s collection of Caedan Wallace?
Connor shares his draft grades on the relief of the AFC East