Ja'Lynn Polk, WR Washington: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Polk was a three-star recruit from Lufkin High School in Lufkin, Texas in the class of 2020

Ja'Lynn Polk was the third-leading wide receiver on the Washington Huskies in 2022, but he is playing himself into the top-60 discussion of the 2024 NFL Draft. Polk’s athletic profile and massive catch radius give him some unteachable traits that should translate to the next level.

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Ja'Lynn Polk, WR Washington: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fourth-year junior wide and slot receiver from Lufkin, Texas

Background: Polk was a three-star recruit from Lufkin High School in Lufkin, Texas in the class of 2020. He was the No. 468 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 452 for On3.com. Polk was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 78 grade out of 100. He transferred from Texas Tech to Washington for the 2021 season. Polk wrapped up his high school career ranked second in program history in receptions (131) and receiving yards (2,412) and third in receiving touchdowns (24). As a senior, he made 54 receptions for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns before an injury cut his campaign short. He was a Third Team All-State selection for the Texas Sports Writers Association and the District 8-5A Offensive MVP. Lufkin went 9-2 and won the district title. As a junior, Polk made 37 receptions for 695 yards and nine touchdowns. He was a First Team All-District 8-5A selection. Polk finished his sophomore year with 40 receptions for 667 yards and six touchdowns, earning honorable mention All-District 12-6A honors.

Injuries & Off-Field: Injured in final high school season, broke collar bone and missed nine games in 2021

Awards: 2022 Third Team Freshman All-America (College Football News)

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick return, punt return, and punt coverage units, experience playing out wide and in the slot, impressive arm length, ideal mix of height and weight, good speed to threaten corners, speed to overtake and stack off-man corners, speed to separate on crossers, double-handed swipe to beat press coverage, quick feet at the top of his stem, quick to halt momentum and turn on comeback routes, sells double moves well, quick to throttle down and re-accelerate on stutter-go, sells the vertical well on post routes, won on two out-and-ups against Michigan State (2022), good feel for pockets in zone, makes defenders miss one-on-one in space, excellent body control at the catch point, catch radius, natural hands catcher, high points the ball well, ball tracking appears to be a plus, size and concentration show up in contested catch opportunities, erases quarterback’s mistakes at the catch point, willing blocker

Cons: Three drops in 2022, speed is good but not great, not too many reps against hard press coverage, needs to diversify release package, struggles to play through contact at the top of the stem, route running definition, routes drift downfield, routes are rounded, needs to work back to the ball on contested opportunities, occasionally runs backward after the catch, yet to be a massive YAC threat that his physical tools suggest he can be

Overview: Polk has special teams experience on the kick return, punt return, and punt coverage units. He has taken significant snaps both out wide and in the slot. Polk’s impressive physical profile includes long arms and an ideal mix of height and weight. He showcases the speed to separate on crossing routes and threaten corners vertically in both press and off-man coverage. Polk uses a double-handed swipe to beat press coverage. His feet are quick at the top of the stem, which helps halt his momentum and flip him around on comeback routes. The fourth-year receiver sells double moves well and is quick to throttle down and re-accelerate on stutter-goes. He sells the vertical element on post routes well before breaking inside. Polk beat Michigan State (2022) twice in one game with out-and-ups. He has a good feel for pockets in zone coverage. The Texas native has enough agility to make defenders miss one-on-one in space, but he hasn’t reached his full potential as a threat after the catch. He should generate more YAC with his impressive physical tools. Polk sometimes makes the mental error of running backward after the catch. He has excellent body control at the catch point, which maximizes his large catch radius. Polk is a natural hands catcher who tracks and high points the ball well. The former three-star recruit uses his size and concentration to erase the quarterback’s mistakes or inaccuracies at the catch point. He is a willing blocker but could be more competitive in that phase of his game. Polk’s speed is good but not great. He hasn’t faced too many reps of hard press coverage. He needs to diversify his release package to prepare for the physicality of NFL cornerbacks. Polk struggles to play through contact at the top of the stem and lets his route be disrupted too easily. His routes sometimes lack sharp definition and become rounded or drift downfield.

Overall, despite serving as the team’s third option at wide receiver in 2022, Polk is as good of an NFL prospect as any player on Washington’s offense. His ball skills and physical tools make him a high-upside prospect capable of thriving in diverse roles and personnel packages.

Role & Scheme Fit: Slot or Z receiver in an 11 personnel heavy scheme

Round Projection: Second Round

Size: 6'2", 204 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 10-03-23