2024 draftees Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker failed to make much of an impact in their first professional season. The Patriots’ second-year wideouts are now working under a brand new coaching staff, and they could be facing an uphill battle to make the club’s 53-man roster (indeed, it was reported back in June that Polk could be on the bubble).
ESPN’s Mike Reiss expects New England to carry six wideouts on the opening day roster, and after the first few days of training camp, Reiss noted that Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, and DeMario Douglas were running with the starters. Meanwhile, Kyle Williams, Kendrick Bourne – himself a potential cut candidate – and UDFA rookie Efton Chism III were taking second-team reps. Polk and Baker, on the other hand, were “not on the current radar” and had essentially “faded from view.”
At the time, free agent addition Mack Hollins was still on the active/PUP list. Since then, the Pats have activated Hollins, and in an updated look at the club’s WR situation, Reiss describes Diggs, Boutte, Douglas, and Hollins as the top four players on the depth chart, with Williams – who has flashed in recent days after something of a “dry spell” – slotting in behind them.
Williams is a third-round rookie, so his place on the team is almost certainly secure despite natural growing pains. Diggs, New England’s marquee free agent acquisition, was always expected to lead the way, and 2023 draftees Douglas and Boutte have shown promise as complementary options. Hollins offers a big-bodied target for QB Drake Maye, and his two-year, $8.4MM contract indicated his roster spot was never in doubt either.
It is telling that, prior to Hollins’ return, an undrafted rookie was seeing more reps than Polk and Baker. Per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, Chism’s spring momentum has not carried over into training camp, and Reiss made note of a Chism drop in a recent practice. Still, given the sheer volume of players in the wide receiver room, it may take an injury and/or the release of a player like Bourne for Polk and Baker to remain in Foxborough.
Further complicating the issue for Polk was a hamstring injury that caused him to miss practice time. He is back on the field, and head coach Mike Vrabel said the second-year pro is “a player that worked extremely hard to get back and ready to go … there’s been some positive things that he’s done since he’s been back” (via Mike Kadlick of CLNS Media). Vrabel went on to say that Polk has not made any mental errors despite his absence.
Polk, a second-round selection last year, may be more likely than Baker, a fourth-rounder, to make the team based on upside alone. According to Kyed, Polk may also have an in as a slot receiver, since the Pats’ depth in the slot is thinner than it is outside the numbers.