Patriots
“Ja’Lynn Polk’s ability to adjust to the football is excellent.”
The Patriots got Drake Maye some help on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft, adding Washington wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk in the second round before selecting Penn State offensive tackle Caedan Wallace in the third round.
Most draft experts seemed to agree with the Patriots’ decision to go offense-heavy in the first three rounds of the draft following the unit’s poor play in 2023. There seemed to be some questions though over the players they drafted, which is to be expected for non-first-round picks.
NFL Network’s lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who had Polk ranked as his 59th overall prospect in this year’s class, initially seemed surprised by the Patriots drafting the Washington receiver at No. 37.
“Wow, they went out and got a physical wide receiver,” Jeremiah said.
However, Jeremiah believes that Polk’s 37.5-inch vertical, which helped him record 1,159 receiving yards in 2023, could benefit Maye in the passing game.
“We’re seeing a little bit of a theme here in terms of the style to put in place here with a young quarterback,” Jeremiah said. “He’s an inside/outside [receiver]. He’s a jump ball winner. That’s what he does above everything else, playing in that loaded receiver room with Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan. He has excellent concentration and hands down the field. When I watched him, I didn’t always see a ton of separation. There were some concerns and some questions about his speed. He ran faster than I anticipated at 4.52, but he wins a lot of contested balls.”
Fellow NFL Network draft analyst Joel Klatt added that Polk “can use a little more polish in his route running,” but NFL Network analyst Charles Davis continued to harp on the receiver’s ability to 50/50 balls.
“You think of how good it is that he wins contested balls, rookie quarterback coming in, make more plays for him, and make those receptions happen,” Davis said.
NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks believed that former NFL star receiver Steve Smith’s T.J. Houshmandzadeh comp for Polk was appropriate.
“He’s not fast, he’s not slow,” Smith said in a pre-draft video. “He can play football. He goes in motion a little bit, gets going, and it shows he’s got a little shiftiness to him. Against Michigan State, he [showed] great hands, catch, and extension. He adjusts in the zone, attacks the football. Now, he’s not going to outrun very many people, but he’s strong at the point of attack and strong with the football in his hands.
“That’s what gives him that advantage. Eye and hand coordination can’t be taught. Ja’Lynn Polk’s ability to adjust to the football is excellent.”
ESPN draft analysts Louis Riddick and Mel Kiper Jr. were similarly bullish on Polk.
“Profile, profile, profile. Perfect pick,” Riddick said. “Big guy, 37.5-inch vertical jump, works the middle of the field, super smart, love the picks.”
“Big receiver, you think about with Drake Maye, throwing it up to a guy like Ja’Lynn Polk with that size, physicality, with the big, strong hands,” Kiper added.
As for Wallace, there seemed to be a little bit of surprise that the Patriots drafted him at No. 68. Jeremiah didn’t have the Penn State product ranked in his top 150 prospects. But he liked the Patriots’ decision to add some help on the offensive line for Maye, sharing what could hamstring Wallace from being productive at the next level.
“He’s got a real big lower half,” Jeremiah said. “He creates some drive in the run game. He’ll stalemate and wrestle you in pass protection. The balance was an issue at times and there were times where speed gave him some trouble off of the edge.”
Wallace started 40 games at right tackle over his Penn State career with Jets first-round pick Olu Fashanu playing at left tackle over the last couple of seasons. Klatt believed that Wallace was among the group of Nittany Lions who contributed to an underwhelming season for their offense, but he also noticed some progression from him as the season went along.
“Caedan Wallace is a guy they wanted more from over the last couple of years,” Klatt said. “Now, his study habits and dedication increased dramatically this season. I thought his best tape was at the end of this past season, clearly helping him toward this draft process.”
Wallace seemed to be productive though over the last two seasons at Penn State, allowing just two sacks and 22 pressures, per Pro Football Focus. Patriots de facto general manager Eliot Wolf told reporters Friday that they plan on trying Wallace out at left tackle, believing that his athleticism and size (6-5, 341 pounds) can help him there.
NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero recently reported that Wallace was actually higher on teams’ draft boards than many anticipated, believing he could be a Day 2 pick.
Riddick agreed with that assessment.
“I like a whole lot of things about this player,” Riddick said, calling Wallace, “my guy.” “I’m gonna struggle to say anything bad about him. I thought his tape was as good as his much more heralded left tackle in Olu Fashanu.
“This guy is another solid pick.”
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