The New England Patriots have effectively wiped out their 2024 NFL Draft class after just one year.
The Patriots traded wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk and a 2028 7th-round pick to the New Orleans Saints for a 2027 6th-round pick, as first reported by Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Polk is on season-ending IR, so the Saints are making the move for 2026 and beyond.
The Patriots selected Polk with the 37th overall pick in the 2024 draft, which suggests that they clearly intended to make him a significant part of their future. As a rookie, he had just 12 catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns, and was essentially out of their plans in preseason when he ended up on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
For the Saints, Polk essentially represents a dart throw. He has no value to them this year, but they are hoping the former Washington Huskies star could still be a productive NFL player once he is healthy again.
This more or less is a wrap on New England’s disastrous 2024 draft class. Outside of quarterback Drake Maye, they got pretty much nothing of value out of it, and the majority have already been dumped by the organization. No wonder they are still in the midst of a rebuild.
