Patriots WR Pair Projected to Meet Brutal Fate

Last year, the New England Patriots selected a pair of wide receivers in the NFL Draft, snagging Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker in the second and fourth rounds, respectively.

Both wide outs were expected to play significant roles in the Patriots' offense last season, but instead, they combined to tally just 13 catches, with Polk being responsible for 12 of them.

In the meantime, New England had the worst receiving corps in the league during the 2024 campaign (and that's objectively speaking), which resulted in the Pats overhauling their wide receiver room over the past several months.

The Patriots signed Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins in free agency, nabbed Kyle Williams in the draft and also picked up undrafted free agent Efton Chism III, who is making a phenomenal impression throughout New England's offseason workouts.

The Pats have 12 receivers competing for six spots, which certainly makes things rather tight for both Polk and Baker. It seems hard to envision both players making the Patriots' 53-man roster, and Sophie Weller of NESN actually feels that they will both fail to qualify.

"DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, and Kayshon Boutte have clear spots given their performance in the past few years. Undrafted free agent Efton Chism III has truly stood out in OTAs, already making a push for a roster spot," Weller wrote. "[Kendrick] Bourne has the potential to be a surprise cut for New England, but he is such an important veteran presence in the room that the Patriots could look to keep an additional receiver on the roster."

New England's top priority is surrounding quarterback Drake Maye with viable, reliable talent, and while Polk and Baker may still flourish at some point, it's pretty clear that neither player is a dependable asset at the moment.