Patriots select Washington WR Ja'Lynn Polk with pick No. 37 in 2024 NFL Draft

Drake Maye has his new No. 1 receiver.

The New England Patriots selected Washington wideout Ja’Lynn Polk with the 37th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday night.

New England initially traded back from No. 34, sending the pick and a fifth-rounder (No. 137) to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for Nos. 37 and 110. Los Angeles used the 34th pick to select another receiver, Georgia’s Ladd McConkey.

In the end, the Patriots slid back a few spots to nab their man. Polk arrives in Foxborough after racking up a career-best 1,159 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games with the Huskies in 2023, helping Washington reach the College Football Playoff National Championship Game by catching five passes for 122 yards and a touchdown in the semifinal versus Texas. That explosive Huskies offense has already produced multiple picks in this draft: quarterback Michael Penix Jr. went eighth overall to Atlanta, while teammate Rome Odunze followed him in the draft order when he was chosen ninth overall by Chicago. With the Patriots’ choice, Polk becomes the second Washington receiver to be selected in the draft’s first 37 picks.

Should everything proceed as hoped, Polk, who stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 203 pounds, is anticipated to overturn an unfortunate trend concerning receivers chosen by the Patriots in the top three rounds over the past 25 years. From 2000 onward, not one of the eight receivers that New England picked in the first three rounds has had a Pro Bowl season or a season with 1,000 receiving yards in their respective careers. Only Deion Branch, a second-round pick in 2002, managed to surpass 600 yards.

However, that was a thing of the past and now is a different time. Bill Belichick is no longer around, with a new leadership taking over. The Patriots, after exchanging draft pick positions to secure Polk and improve a day 3 pick, are optimistic that Polk can build a relationship with fellow rookie Maye. They hope this will set them on the path to future triumphs. Given that its receivers ranked 28th or lower in 2023 in terms of catch percentage, receiving yards per game, yards per reception, and receiving touchdowns, New England certainly requires improvement.