The Patriots took Polk with the 37th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to give third overall pick Drake Maye a young receiving option. Polk spent one season at Texas Tech and three at Washington, with a 69-1,159-9 receiving line in 2023 accounting for about half of his career production. The late breakout was aided by fellow 2024 draft pick Jalen McMillan (third round) struggling with injuries last season, as both McMillan and Rome Odunze outproduced Polk by wide margins in 2022. On the other hand, Polk's 2023 was genuinely impressive, with his strong hands and regular contested catches standing out. At 6-1 203, Polk has the size to play outside in the NFL, though a 4.52 40 suggests he's unlikely to be a top deep threat even if the contested-catch skills translate. He and fourth-round pick Javon Baker should get the chance to earn playing time early on, joining a Patriots WR room in which every veteran had fewer than 600 yards last year.
