When the Patriots drafted Washington star Ja'Lynn Polk in April, it felt as if they'd finally made a much-needed high-value addition at receiver.
It was a departure from how the Patriots operated under Bill Belichick and seemed to be an ideal pairing with rookie quarterback Drake Maye. But after six games (five starts), Polk has failed to make a mark, catching just 10 passes (on 23 targets) for 78 yards and one touchdown.
Coach Jerod Mayo didn't mince words when discussing Polk's place in New England's receiving corps, suggesting Polk wasn't performing consistently enough in all areas to warrant a larger role in the Patriots' offense.
“I think he just needs to get over this mental hump. You’ve got to eliminate the dropped passes,” Mayo said, via MassLive.com. “You’ve got to be better at blocking, which he did a great job in college at that and at times throughout the season. He just has to continue to grow, and he has to work harder. He has to pay more attention to the details, and we fully expect him to grow into a receiver that’s dependable on run and pass downs.”
Polk's usage has varied through six games, as he played all 60 offensive snaps in Week 5, but just 65 percent of snaps in Week 6. During Maye's NFL debut Sunday -- in which Maye threw touchdown passes to Kayshon Boutte, tight end Hunter Henry and Demario Douglas -- Polk saw four targets and caught just one of them for four yards.
Mayo's comments indicated the rookie isn't where the Patriots need him to be in order to feature him in their offense. Polk, however, wasn't rattled by the criticism, telling reporters "I'm not dealing with (any) mental problems at all."
“I believe I have the best hands in the league," Polk said. "So, I feel like my drops, that’s not an issue at all.”
Polk was asked to explain why he's struggled in the last two games, in which he's been held responsible for one drop in each contest, per PFF. As he said, he doesn't lack confidence in his hands, but admitted he might feel a little handcuffed by how he's being used in the Patriots' offense.
“I feel like I’m limited to what I can really do right now,” Polk said. “I mean, just continue to keep a good mindset and getting better.”
Considering where this Patriots offense was in the first five weeks -- a stretch played with veteran Jacoby Brissett under constant duress in a leaky pocket -- it's easy to understand why Polk isn't yet thriving. But Mayo's comments point toward it being more than New England's offensive struggles.
When pressed on the matter, Polk remained vague, telling reporters, "I'll just say I'm limited on certain things right now."
Eerie tone aside, it's still very early for the rookie. He has plenty of time to settle in, establish a rapport with Maye and take off from there.
He believes it's only a matter of time until that happens.
“I’ve got more confidence in myself than anybody has in me,” Polk said. “I just have the mindset of wanting to be the best. So, keep chasing greatness and being the best that I can be.”