NFL Draft: Patriots pair 2nd round WR Ja'Lynn Polk with their new QB Drake Maye

The New England Patriots followed the lead of the Chicago Bears and got their rookie quarterback a new target to grow with.

New England didn't have the luxury of the ninth pick, like the Bears did when they took Washington receiver Rome Odunze, but this draft was deep at receiver. The Patriots, who took quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick on Thursday night, took receiver Ja'Lynn Polk in the second round.

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The Patriots have had a horrible track record of drafting receivers, but that was with Bill Belichick calling the shots. Hopefully Polk turns out better for the new regime than the many busts New England has gambled on through the years.

Polk had a great final college season, with 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns for a Washington team that made the College Football Playoff title game. He has decent size and a good production profile, and the Patriots will ask him to play a big role right away. They don't have much else at receiver to block Polk from playing a lot as a rookie.

The Patriots needed to add talent after the roster had fallen into disrepair the last couple of seasons. They took Maye because it was hard to pass on the chance to take a difference-making quarterback, but they didn't have much around Maye when they made the pick. In the second round the Patriots started to fix that issue.