New England Patriots select Ja’Lynn Polk in 2nd round of 2024 NFL Draft

The New England Patriots have selected Washington receiver Ja’Lynn Polk in the 2nd round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He put together an impressive four-year college career, three of which came with the Huskies, and will now aim to carry that momentum over into the pros.

Polk committed to Texas Tech out of high school in 2020 but spent just one season with the Red Raiders before transferring to Seattle. He finished his time at Washington with 115 catches for 1,967 yards and 16 touchdowns. His career yards and touchdowns both rank top 10 in program history.

Polk had his best year yet in 2023 as the Huskies advanced all the way to the national championship game. He finished second on the team in receiving yards with 1,159, a mark that ranked sixth in school history, on 69 catches.

The 6-foot-2 receiver showed steady improvement from the moment he arrived on campus at Washington. After playing only three games due to injury his first season, he returned to rank third on the team with 41 catches for 694 yards and six touchdowns.

Polk attended Lufkin (TX) High School, where future NFL receivers such as Dez Bryant and Keke Coutee are alums. He finished his high school career second in school history in both receptions (131) and receiving yards (2,412). Now he’ll aim to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors with a successful pro career.

Polk ranked as the No. 453 overall player and No. 83 receiver in the 2020 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Ja’Lynn Polk

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein provided some analysis on Polk’s game in his recent scout of receiver’s draft profile. He noted that while his strengths include his size and ability to grab 50-50 balls, but he is a bit below average when it comes to speed and acceleration.

“Wideout with good size who posted a productive final season to build upon during the draft process,” Zierlein wrote. “Polk might not have the early acceleration to overtake and stack NFL press corners. He also lacks ideal suddenness getting in and out of his breaks as a route runner. He runs routes with consistent pace — including through his stems and turns — which can create some freedom.

“However, Polk shines once the ball goes up. He can carve out space near the boundary, catch with strong hands when contested and track and finish when he heads deep. Polk’s speed proved slightly below average at the NFL Scouting Combine, but his other numbers were strong enough for him to receive consideration starting late on Day 2 of the draft.”