Scott Zolak has a troubling prediction for Patriots rookie Ja’Lynn Polk
"It feels to me that N’Keal Harry had a bigger impact here than what Ja’Lynn Polk is going to have."
Patriots rookie receiver Ja’Lynn Polk has yet to live up to the expectations many had for him entering training camp.
The first-year receiver began the year as one of New England’s top option at the position. But, he hasn’t shown much production in games. He has 12 catches for 87 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 13 games. That’s an average of less than one catch and just under seven yards per game.
The lack of production is reminiscent of former first-round pick N’Keal Harry, 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Scott Zolak said.
“I’m to the point right now, and I can’t believe I’m going to say this,” Zolak said, as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston. “It feels to me that N’Keal Harry had a bigger impact here than what Ja’Lynn Polk is going to have.”
Harry, who was taken No. 32 in 2019, caught 12 passes for 105 yards and a pair of touchdowns in seven games during his rookie season. So far he has produced more than Polk, and he did it in fewer games.
Harry lasted three seasons with the Patriots before New England traded him to the Bears for a seventh-round pick. He had a brief stint on the Vikings’ practice squad, and was most recently on the Seahawks’ practice squad before being cut by Seattle earlier this month.
“N’Keal Harry in his early days has done more than Ja’Lynn Polk,” Zolak said. “And that shocks the hell out of me because I was a huge Polk guy coming out of Washington.
“Massive production. Great route runner,” he added. “We’re down here doing our show every summer, you see him make plays in practice. I came away from camp thinking, ‘This guy’s gonna be your No. 1,’ because he would catch everything. He wasn’t blowing by anybody, but you can at least see he belonged.”
The Patriots have three games left, so there is an opportunity for Polk to surpass Harry’s production, but the early returns haven’t been promising.
The wide receiver room in general has been dysfunctional this season, Zolak said. The lack of production is one thing, but there has also been a lack of leadership.
“The lack of leadership from the veteran standpoint in that wide receiver room has been a disaster,” Zolak said. “And I think Kendrick Bourne got caught behind the eight ball, not ready to go at the beginning of the year, he’s worried about coming back from injury.”
“You got nothing from Tyquan Thornton,” he added. “You got nothing from K.J. Osborn. And these guys are free to do what they want to do.”
Thornton and Osborn are no longer on the team. The Commanders claimed Osborn off the waiver wire, and Thornton signed onto the Chiefs’ practice squad.
Hunter Henry and DeMario Douglas are the only Patriots pass-catchers to surpass 500 yards this season. The Patriots are averaging 17 points per game, which is second-to-last in the NFL. They are dead last in passing yards per game at 173.1.
Correction: An earlier version of this story listed Polk as a second-year player. He is a rookie. Boston.com regrets the error.
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