Patriots GM Eliot Wolf Reveals Strategy Behind Ja'Lynn Polk Pick

The New England Patriots got a big addition for their wide receiver corps during this year's draft.

Mar 2, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk (WO24) during the 2024 NFL / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It was a wildly offensive-driven draft class for the New England Patriotsthis year. With seven of their eight selections stemming from that side of the ball, it marked a pressing urgency from the franchise to push and bring some more juice to this team's scoring that was tough to watch at times through the 2023 season.

Among their additions to the offense, the Patriots decided to bring in Washington WR Ja'Lynn Polk during the second round, giving new rookie signal caller Drake Maye a pass-catching counterpart to build for the future with.

After the Patriots' selected Polk with their first selection on day two, we got to hear a bit from New England GM Eliot Wolf on the team's decision to take him at 37th-overall, per insider Mike Reiss of ESPN.

"Had our eye on him for a while," Wolf said. "Really good fit in our offense. He's really tough. Strong. Can run all the routes, play inside, outside. He's a good blocker. Really competitive -- both for the ball in the air and as a run-after-catch player. Kind of a versatile do-everything type guy. He ran a little bit faster than a lot of people expected but when you turn the tape on, you see him running by people."

During Polk's final season with the Huskies, he posted a final line for the year of 69 catches, 1,159 yards, and nine touchdowns en route to being one of the top targets in a strong group of weapons for Michael Penix Jr.

With his ability to produce as an X on the outside, the 22-year-old should have the opportunity to enter New England and make a significant impact as a weapon for a receiver group seeking more explosiveness.

In a draft class that was jam-packed full of wide receivers, it's clear Polk was the guy for New England. He, alongside fourth-round selection Javon Baker, makes for a nice refresh to the Patriots offense that ranked bottom-three in total yards for 2023.