Drafting wide receivers hasn't been the New England Patriots' strong suit. With the exception of 2023 sixth-rounder DeMario Douglas, they haven't landed a dependable wideout via the draft over the last decade.
The post-Bill Belichick Patriots hoped to reverse their fortune in the 2024 draft, when they used a second-round selection on Ja'Lynn Polk and a fourth-rounder on Javon Baker. Despite both rookies showing flashes of upside in training camp, they've been major disappointments throughout their debut seasons.
Polk only has 12 catches on 32 targets for 87 yards and two touchdowns through 13 games played. The former Washington standout has quickly fallen out of favor in the Pats offense with only six targets over his last six games.
Baker has been a non-factor. The Central Florida product has been targeted just once and has returned three kicks in eight games played. He was disciplined in early September after a heated social media rant over a traffic ticket, then he missed curfew before the Patriots' London game vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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It's no secret the Patriots need to help their prized rookie quarterback Drake Maye and bolster their wide receiving corps in the upcoming offseason. While doing so, they must find a veteran voice to point the young wideouts back in the right direction.
Scott Zolak shared his thoughts on the topic Monday on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak & Bertrand.
"The lack of leadership from the veteran standpoint in that wide receiver room has been a disaster," Zolak said. "And I think Kendrick Bourne got caught behind the 8 ball, not ready to go at the beginning of the year, he's worried about coming back from injury.
"You got nothing from Tyquan Thornton. You got nothing from K.J. Osborn. And these guys are free to do what they want to do."
The Patriots parted ways with Thornton and Osborn this season. Those departures left New England's wide receiver room consisting of Douglas, Polk, Baker, Bourne, and Kayshon Boutte.
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After an impressive camp, Polk was expected to carve out a significant role in the Patriots offense. Instead, he has drawn comparisons to infamous first-round bust N'Keal Harry. Zolak went as far as to state that Harry will be remembered as the more impactful player than Polk in New England.
"I'm to the point right now, and I can't believe I'm going to say this -- it feels to me that N'Keal Harry had a bigger impact here than what Ja'Lynn Polk's gonna have," Zolak said. ...
"N'Keal Harry in his early days has done more than Ja'Lynn Polk, and that shocks the hell out of me because I was a huge Polk guy coming out of Washington. Massive production. Great route runner. We're down here doing our show every summer, you see him make plays in practice. I came away from camp thinking, 'This guy's gonna be your number one,' because he would catch everything. He wasn't blowing by anybody, but you can at least see he belonged."
The numbers support Zolak's point. Harry had 12 catches for 105 yards and two TDs in seven games as a rookie in 2019. The following season with Cam Newton as his quarterback, he notched 33 catches for 309 yards and two TDs.
Perhaps Polk can bounce back in Year 2, but he'll have to find a way to regain his coaching staff and his QB's trust. He'll also likely be buried on the wide receiver depth chart if New England adds weapons for Maye in the offseason.
Polk has three games left to finish his rookie campaign on a high note. The Patriots will visit the Buffalo Bills next Sunday, then finish their season with matchups against the Los Angeles Chargers and the Bills at Gillette Stadium.
