Patriots draft WR Ja'Lynn Polk in second round of NFL Draft
BOSTON -- With the 37th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots selected Ja'Lynn Polk, a wide receiver out of the University of Washington.
The Patriots initally owned the No. 34 pick but traded down three spots with the Chargers, who selected wide receiver Ladd McConkey at that spot.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Polk spent the 2020 season at Texas Tech before transferring to Washington for the past three years. He caught 69 passes for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns last season, a year after catching 41 passes for 694 yards and six touchdowns.
Polk had a massive game in the national semifinal against Texas, catching five passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Patriots offensive lineman Mike Onwenu -- a Detroit native who played at the University of Michigan -- announced the selection on the stage in Detroit.
The pick of Polk follows the Patriots' selection of quarterback Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall selection in the first round on Thursday night. The team entered the draft with clear needs at offensive tackle and wide receiver. New Patriots wide receivers coach Tyler Hughes knows Polk well, after Hughes worked as a quality control coach on offense for the Huskies last season.
The Patriots entered the draft owning eight selections -- one in each of the first five rounds, two in the sixth round and one in the seventh round.
In addition to trading pick No. 34 for No. 37, the Patriots also sent No. 137 to the Chargers in exchange for No. 110 overall. The latter portion of that trade moves the Patriots up from the fifth round into the fourth round.
