Resetting the Patriots’ wide receiver group with Ja’Lynn Polk in the mix

The Patriots selected Polk in the second round of the NFL Draft.

The New England Patriots entered Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft with wide receiver near the top of their wish list. There was speculation they might use their original second-round pick at No. 34 overall to acquire a veteran option at the position, but they eventually traded three spots down before selecting Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk.

A member of a productive Huskies wide receiver corps last season that also featured first-round pick Rome Odunze and third-round pick Jalen McMillan, Polk was an inside/out weapon for first-round quarterback Michael Penix Jr. He lined up primarily on the perimeter, but also moved inside or even into the backfield on semi-regular basis.

Given his usage in college, and the Patriots’ need at that particular spot, the 6-foot-1, 203-pound pass catcher projects to factor into the Patriots’ X-receiver mix. He has the size, ball skills, and hand-eye coordination to work the perimeter against 1-on-1 coverage and press.

So, how does Polk’s arrival impact New England’s wide receiver group as a whole? Before taking a look, a quick note from Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf on particular distinctions at the position.

“The system that I come from, we never really talked much about X, Z, slot,” Wolf said on Friday night. “We just really tried to add really good receivers, and it would end up working out for us. So, we feel like he’s a guy that can play all the positions.”

Wolf’s statement absolutely makes sense from a scouting perspective; in a vacuum, a player is either a fit or not for what you’re trying to do regardless of the label he carries. That said, not all of the Patriots’ current wide receivers are the same player type and there are differences between them when it comes to size or skillset.

The following classifications should therefore primarily be regarded as a helpful tool to classify those difference, rather than set boxes a player never leaves. In fact, most of them would fit two if not all three roles.

X-receiver

K.J. Osborn (2): The Patriots signed the former Minnesota Vikings wideout to a one-year contract in free agency, and at the moment he projects as their top option on the outside. Osborn is more of a X/Z-hybrid than a pure No. 1 on the outside, though, and played in a lot of condensed looks with his previous team. He has the length and experience to line up in a wide split as well, but is a tweener similar to other players in the current room.

Ja’Lynn Polk (–): One of those tweeners alongside Osborn is the rookie Polk. He might be the closest the Patriots have to a true developmental difference-maker at the X, even though he does not have the long speed to consistently work the sideline deep. That said, he has reliable hands, is technically proficient, and knows how to make plays over the middle of the field — an area new quarterback Drake Maye likes to attack. The youngster might end up seeing serious playing time from early on in his career, and could become the No. 1 outside receiver rather quickly.

Jalen Reagor (83): Reagor is the closest the Patriots have to a true X, and they used him as such in 2023. How new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will employ him in his offense remains to be seen, but the team re-signed the former first-round pick in the offseason for a reason: to possibly factor into the return game, and to provide depth on the outside New England desperately needs.

Z-receiver

Kendrick Bourne (84): Before tearing his ACL last October, Bourne was the Patriots’ most productive pass catcher. He is on his way to a full recovery, and after signing a three-year extension to stay put is expected to again contribute in a starter-level role in 2024. Similar to K.J. Osborn and Ja’Lynn Polk he has inside/outside flexibility, but is also well-established in his role as a Z within the Patriots offense. On top of that, as its longest-tenured member he also is a valuable leader in the room.

Tyquan Thornton (11): Thornton has a rare speed/length combination to play on the perimeter as a true X. However, his slender frame makes him best suited to line up off the line of scrimmage to create build-up space against press coverage. The former second-round draft pick had, of course, a quiet start to his career; the hope is that Alex Van Pelt and the new-look offensive staff can be able to unlock him which would add a whole new dimension to New England’s passing game.

Kayshon Boutte (80): Given his legal situation after an arrest on illegal gambling charges, Boutte’s future with the Patriots is in question. He is participating in offseason workouts, however, and head coach Jerod Mayo spoke about wanting to continue working with him. If so, Boutte offers another player capable of lining up in several spots — one who showed considerable of promise early on in his college career but has had lukewarm production ever since.

Kawaan Baker (86): Baker offers good size and speed, but in three years in the NFL has struggled to find a permanent home. The former seventh-round draft pick, who was signed to a futures contract in February, projects as a depth and practice squad option more than anything else. Given the uncertainty surrounding both Tyquan Thornton and Kayshon Boutte, however, he might get a chance to climb up the depth chart.

Slot receiver

DeMario Douglas (3): Before Polk was drafted on Friday, Douglas was possibly the only true exciting youngster in the Patriots’ wide receiver room. For good reason: the 2023 sixth-round pick had a promising rookie campaign and regularly showcased his elite elusiveness and ability to make plays with the ball in his hands. His injury situation was a concern last year, but a healthy Douglas has a chance to become a difference maker in the slot and a top target for Drake Maye.

JuJu Smith-Schuster (7): Outside of since-traded quarterback Mac Jones, Smith-Schuster might have been the most disappointing player on the Patriots offense last year. The high-profile free agency acquisition struggled to make a consistent impact, and caught just 29 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown in 11 games. His contract suggests he will stay on the team for 2023, but under a new(-ish) regime all bets are off.

T.J. Luther (82): Luther lined up primarily on the outside at Gardner-Webb and last summer with the New York Jets, but — based on limited practice observations — the Patriots opted to move him into the slot after signing him to their practice squad. With Smith-Schuster’s future unclear, he might have a chance to becoming the No. 2 option at the position.

As can be seen, even with Polk in the mix there are a lot of unknowns surrounding the Patriots’ wide receiver group. Most of those will remain in place until the team starts doing team drills later in the offseason and especially in training camp.

That said, the group might not be as bad as it seems at first glance. Players such as Ja’Lynn Polk and DeMario Douglas, for example, have true potential to turn into productive players, while Kendrick Bourne and K.J. Osborn — the latter leaving a positive impression during offseason workouts so far — bring a veteran presence to the group.

On the other hand, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton and Kayshon Boutte fall into the wildcard category. They too have qualities that might allow them to turn into bigger contributors than they were in the past, but they have yet to show they can become that in New England.

All in all, though, the entire group appears to be in somewhat of a “wait and see” state at the moment.