Patriots' Drake Maye Gets Candid on Disappointing WR Pair

Last spring, the New England Patriots attempted to shore up their receiving corps in the NFL Draft by selecting Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, but neither player worked out in Year 1.

Polk managed just 12 catches for 87 yards and a couple of touchdowns, and Baker logged only one grab on four targets.

With the Patriots adding several more wide receivers this offseason, signing Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins in free agency and snatching Kyle Williams in the third round of the draft, Polk and Baker's roles are much murkier heading into 2025.

However, quarterback Drake Maye seems to be confident in the pair of young wide outs and believes both players have made significant progress since last year.

“I think they’re ahead of where they were when we were in the first couple weeks last year, learning the new offense,” Maye said. “They kind of have caught the stride of, ‘Hey, I got to be on my stuff, be in the right spot, know what to do.’”

Of course, that still needs to translate into actual on-field production.

“That’s just half of it. Making plays is the next part,” Maye added. “I think you’ve definitely seen kind of a get up from them. Looking forward to getting them into camp and seeing what they can do.”

Polk and Baker will definitely have a more difficult road next season, and to be perfectly honest, neither pass-catcher is even guaranteed a roster spot. But there is also no doubt that the two receivers have talent, which is why New England drafted them to begin with.

Remember: going into 2024, there were many who believed that Polk and Baker would each play legitimate roles in the Pats' offense, but that obviously did not happen.

Perhaps the two sophomore receivers can make a strong impression in training camp.