Early on Friday night, the New England Patriots added their first wideout of the 2024 NFL draft, selecting Washington wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk with pick No. 34.
Polk has the ability to move all over the field and should be one of the Patriots' top wideouts by the time the season rolls around, making life easier for either Drake Maye or Jacoby Brissett.
After he was drafted, Polk spoke to the New England media and shared who he models his game after.
"I watch guys like Andre Johnson, Keenan Allen," Polk said. "Keenan Allen is one of those guys who played a major factor in who I watch on film. His ability just to make guys miss, go up and keep his balance, go get those extra yards, and having that certain dog mentality of going to lead his team. His releases are pretty good, so watching his releases, the things that he does in order for him to be able to create separation is elite.
"So, I always try to find an opportunity to watch guys that are elite at what they do because there's a reason why they're doing what they're doing."
Those are two pretty good examples to follow if you're a young receiver. Obviously, it's tough to compare Polk and Johnson with the latter being a Hall of Famer, but the new Patriots wideout is from the Houston area, so that's where that connection comes from. Allen, on the other hand, could be the ceiling for Polk. If he can emulate the six-time Pro Bowler, the Patriots will have gotten a steal in the second round.
