The Patriots manager makes concerning comments about the team’s rookies

The New England Patriots drafted two wide receivers in the first four rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft. A year later, they don’t seem too impressed with what they got.

In a new story about the state of the Patriots franchise, vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf made some critical comments about the team’s 2024 draft class, particularly wide receivers. The Patriots selected Ja’Lynn Polk 37th and selected Javon Baker in the fourth round, but after neither contributed much this season, Wolf seemed pretty bummed about the pairing.

“We’re 3-13, so not good enough. Let’s start there. We had many needs. Personally, I would say that I expected maybe a little more internal development, which is certainly a good lesson for next year and that you can’t always rely on that,” Wolf said, via Henry McKenna of Fox Sports. “The rookie receivers weren’t that keen on us. And, you know, Polk, in our estimation, was kind of a plug-and-play device. … To answer your question: Our balance sheet speaks for itself. We haven’t done enough.”

That’s not exactly an endorsement of the Patriots’ offensive staff. It could be worse for Polk and Baker, who clearly didn’t give New England what it thought it was getting. Polk has just 12 catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns this season, and all but two of those catches have come in his first six games. Baker has only scored three goals all season, and he hasn’t done himself any favors with his off-field behavior.

The Patriots are excited about rookie quarterback Drake Maye. Now they have to get him weapons. Fortunately, they should have the opportunity to do so in the NFL Draft, but they will need to draft and develop better than they have in recent years.