Jun 9, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk (1) runs through a drill during minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Patriots Could Release Top-40 Pick After One Season

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By David Latham | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The New England Patriots selected wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk early in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but they could give up on the Texas Tech product after one season. Landing on a wide-0pen depth chart, Polk saw the field early but could not make the most of his opportunities. Appearing in 15 games while making seven starts, the rookie caught just 12 of his 33 targets for 87 yards, two touchdowns, and a 43.1 PFF grade, the worst mark among eligible wide receivers.

With a new head coach running the show in Mike Vrabel combined with new bodies like veteran Stefon Diggs and rookie Kyle Williams, Ja’Lynn Polk may not make the Patriots roster. Now buried on the depth chart, Polk’s time in New England could come to an early end, but he’ll probably earn an opportunity somewhere else. After all, he was a second-round pick for a reason, and one of the following four teams could sign him to their practice squad or give him a job on the back of their roster.

Patriots Could Release Ja’Lynn Polk After One Season

Next Teams

Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers have one of the weaker wide receiver depth charts in football. While second-round pick Ladd McConkey proved to be the real deal last year, former first-round pick Quentin Johnston remains a disappointment, rookie Tre Harris is an unknown commodity, and veteran Mike Williams didn’t show much of anything with the Jets and Steelers last year. Head coach Jim Harbaugh wants to win games on the ground, but he’ll need more aerial firepower to keep up with the elite AFC teams. Ja’Lynn Polk is far from a safe bet, but they might as well kick the tires if the Patriots release him.

Tennessee Titans

You can’t have too many reliable sets of hands when supporting a young quarterback. For better or worse, first-overall pick Cam Ward will start the season under center for the Tennessee Titans. While he should be a step up from Will Levis, he could use another young target to help grow his game. Seeing as he’s essentially free, the Titans could see if Ja’Lynn Polk can live up to his draft capital away from the Patriots.

New York Jets

What could be better than finding a contributor that your top rival discarded? The New York Jets have a great young receiver in Garrett Wilson, but not much else to speak of. Justin Fields will be the quarterback in 2025, which means the team will likely operate a run-heavy offense. However, they’ll still need to throw the ball a decent amount, and someone other than Wilson must step up if this team is to end their playoff drought.

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints offense could get ugly, as second-round pick Tyler Shough will likely start behind a poor offensive line while throwing to the rehabbing duo of Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. First-year head coach Kellen Moore needs all the help he can find, so they might as well see if Ja’Lynn Polk can earn a depth spot on this roster.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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