Patriots Rookie Slammed With Grim Take

This New England Patriots rookie has not lived up to expectations.

Sep 29, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk (1) leaves the field after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images / Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Many felt the New England Patriots landed a sleeper when they selected Washington Huskies wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk in the second round of the NFL Draft.

Some even felt that Polk would be one of the most productive rookies in his class.

Clearly, that has not been the case.

In 10 appearances this season, Polk has logged just 11 catches for 80 yards and a couple of touchdowns. His best performance came against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 29, when he caught three passes for 30 yards.

The 22-year-old has been all but invisible, and Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski has labeled Polk one of B/R's biggest misses when it comes to assessing 2024 draft talent.

"This year's 37th overall pick hasn't had more than one reception in a contest over the last six weeks," Sobleski wrote. "He has all of 11 catches for 80 yards on a squad in dire need of someone to make plays. He's not a No. 2 target right now. He's barely even noticeable."

It really is odd how Polk has hardly gotten any opportunities this season.

The Patriots have the worst group of receivers in football, so you would think that a talented second-round pick would get ample targets.

Instead, Polk has been targeted a grand total of 28 times, which is good for a miserable catch percentage of 39.3 percent.

Early on, you could blame New England's quarterback situation for Polk's lack of production, but now, with Drake Maye under center and the Pats' offense looking much improved, it's hard to find excuses for the first-year pass-catcher.

Polk hauled in 69 receptions for 1,159 yards and nine scores during his final season at Washington, where he was serving as the Huskies' No. 2 receiver behind Rome Odunze.

It just isn't translating on to the NFL level.

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