Behind the scenes, de-facto GM Eliot Wolf and the Patriots spoke with a lot of players leading up to the draft and after what we’ve seen over the first two days, one thing is clear.
Wolf opted to target big, athletic receivers who can make plays down the field with new quarterback Drake Maye, and he also happened to do something even smarter.
He grabbed two guys Maye already had a relationship with. That’s turned out to be an interesting aspect of this draft that essentially gets them off to more of a headstart as the Patriots begin a new era under new head coach Jerod Mayo.
Receiver Javon Baker, who the club selected in the fourth round on Saturday (110th overall) out of UCF, told reporters that both he and fellow second-round pick, Washington wideout Ja’Lynn Polk, have each previously spent time working out with Maye and will now carry that relationship into New England.
“Honestly, people don’t know this, but when Drake Maye was committed to Bama at first, we always used to practice and throw it around,” said Baker during his conference call Saturday. “So me and Drake Maye got a connection going on.”
“Drake Maye is probably, really, I think, in my opinion, the best quarterback in this draft. So when we connect, again, it’s going to be a good connection.”
Baker said that as soon as he got drafted, Maye immediately texted him, letting him know he’s looking forward to getting started.
“I didn’t reach out to him when he got drafted, but as soon as I got drafted, he reached out to me,” said Baker. “He just told me, congrats, and let’s get to work. J.P., Ja’Lynn Polk, who’s working out this whole offseason, this whole process, so we got a connection going on, too. Just them, us three, alone is just going to bring back the winning mentality that everybody likes in Boston.”
The former UCF Standout is coming off an impressive senior season, finishing with 52 receptions for 1,139 yards and 7 touchdowns. He’s an explosive player who attacks the football, which is a trait that Polk also possesses.
He’s also got a bit of an edge to him as well, which should have fans intrigued to see him on the field in the coming months.
“Just come to the home stadium and bring ya’ll popcorn,” said Baker. “That’s all I can tell you y’all. Bring your popcorn.”
“I make people in wheelchairs stand up. Bring your popcorn.”
Meanwhile, Polk also said yesterday that he’s excited to get to work with his new team, with the new receiver apparently set to wear the #1 when we see him a few months from now. He’s also a big fan of Maye, and he’s looking forward to getting to work.
“The guy’s electric,” said Polk of Maye. “He goes out there, and he’s able to make plays for his team and be a captain on offense. A great guy, man. An awesome player, man. I had an opportunity throughout this process to see a lot of his plays that he’s been able to put up for his team, and I’m excited to be able to get to work with him.”
As Baker said. Get your popcorn, because it looks like it should be an interesting summer.
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
