Patriots’ offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt says he is ‘not down on’ Ja’Lynn Polk despite his disappointing rookie season.
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick had a notoriously bad track record selecting early-round wide receivers in the NFL Draft.
It appears Eliot Wolf is continuing that tradition.
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Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey racked up a team-high six catches for 87 yards in Los Angeles' win over the Denver Broncos in Week 16, giving him eight consecutive games with at least 50 receiving yards. That's the longest such streak by a rookie since Odell Beckham Jr., who won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014.
What do McConkey's accomplishments have to do with the Patriots? Well, the Chargers landed McConkey thanks to a 2024 NFL Draft trade with New England in which the Patriots sent the 34th and 137th overall picks to Los Angeles in return for the 37th and 110th picks.
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Here's how both teams used those picks:
- Chargers: WR Ladd McConkey (34th) and CB Tarheeb Still (137th)
- Patriots: WR Ja'Lynn Polk (37th) and WR Javon Baker (110th)
Let's compare those players' stats, shall we?
McConkey has 69 catches on 94 targets for 960 yards with five touchdowns through 14 games, ranking ninth among all NFL pass-catchers and second among rookie pass-catchers behind only tight end Brock Bowers. The Georgia product has recorded at least five catches in 10 different games and at least 50 receiving yards in nine games.
Still, the Chargers' fifth-round pick out of Maryland, has played 12 games at cornerback for Los Angeles with 10 starts and has four interceptions -- tied for second among all rookies -- along with 10 pass breakups, a pick-six, 51 tackle and half a sack.
As for Polk and Baker? Polk has 12 catches on 32 targets for 87 yards and two touchdowns on the season, while Baker has zero catches on two targets in eight games played. (For those scoring at home: McConkey had as many receiving yards last Thursday night versus Denver as Polk and Baker have combined this entire season.)
Context should be noted here: McConkey is catching passes from a Pro Bowl quarterback (Justin Herbert) in a strong offense that features a decent offensive line. The Patriots have arguably the worst offensive line in football and no high-end receiver talent to speak of, so it's hard to imagine McConkey putting up such gaudy numbers if he was in New England this season.
That said, we can't ignore that the Chargers turned the two picks they received from New England into two starting-caliber players with Pro Bowl upside, while the Patriots have gotten essentially zero production out of their two selections, both of whom have had issues off the field as well.
Wolf may have hit a home run with Drake Maye at No. 3, but the rest of his first draft leading the Patriots' front office has been a disaster to this point, and perhaps his biggest whiff will be on display this Saturday when New England hosts McConkey and the Chargers.
