The New England Patriots addressed their need for a wide receiver on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft, though it wasn't the wideout many expected.
After trading down from No. 34 to No. 37 overall, the Patriots selected WR Ja'Lynn Polk out of Washington. They passed on the opportunity to select Georgia receiver Ladd McConkey -- L.A.'s pick at 34 -- and chose Polk with Texas wideout Adonai Mitchell still on the board.
Was that a smart move by de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and Co.? Phil Perry graded the pick during NBC Sports Boston's "On The Clock" NFL Draft special.
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"The Ja'Lynn Polk pick, right now I would give a B," Perry said. "I think it's solid. He is not, in my opinion, exactly what they need at that receiver position. But he brings all sorts of toughness and I do think he'll be a good fit for what they're trying to do in this offense, specifically with (offensive coordinator) Alex Van Pelt."
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Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer weighed in with his own grade for the selection.
"I'll go B- for Ja'Lynn Polk," he said. "I like the player, I just think -- I really believe that they need to invest in that offensive line. ... I'm a little skeptical in getting an offensive tackle outside of the first two rounds."
Polk notched 69 catches for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns last season while playing alongside first-round wideout Rome Odunze. Perry likens the 6-foot-2, 202-pounder to former Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Polk joins a Patriots receiver depth chart that includes Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, K.J. Osborn, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Reagor, and Kayshon Boutte. The offense still needs upgrades as New England looks to build around their first-round quarterback Drake Maye, but adding Polk to the mix is a step in the right direction.
The Patriots' next pick is No. 68 in the third round. They currently have five picks on Day 3, which kicks off Saturday at 12 p.m. ET.
