Damn it. We’re barely even a week into NFL training camp, and it already sounds like two of my prognostications from the Stacking The Inbox draft guide are looking grim. I know it’s too soon to call it, but I’m at least beginning to get a little nervous. Don’t you hate it when you put your thoughts online for the world to see and then you’re wrong? No? Most people don’t actually do that? Oh, well I’m embarrassed then. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Drake Maye and Ja’Lynn Polk coming out of this class. But, I’ll be dawl gong, it damn sure sounds like the duo is lighting it up at Patriots camp.
.@DrakeMaye2 going deeeep to @jpolk_22 š pic.twitter.com/zH0RdidzW2
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) July 26, 2024
The takes are out there to go with the fireworks show, too. Patriots reporters are penning articles citing Polk as the team’s MVP of camp so far, people are saying “draft Ja’Lynn Polk” for your fantasy leagues. I mean, by all accounts out of Boston, it sure as hell sounds like Polkamania is running wild. Wait – that sounds too much like “polka.” We’ll keep workshopping a good nickname for this phenomenon. Now, you may think me a hater, but I am actually quite a fan of the way the Patriots have attacked the offseason. I’ve been a big fan of Jerod Mayo for awhile now, and have paid attention to his coaching star on the rise. It’s finally paid off with a shot at the head job with the Patriots. But, over the last couple of drafts, I don’t think anyone in the league has taken as many of “my guys” as the Pats. Unless I’m just a shitty evaluator, that’s eventually going to pay off.
So, what was my issue with Maye and Polk? With Maye, I was concerned about how and why he seemed to overplay the hero ball card in 2023. Of course, he was fighting for his life behind a terrible offensive line, but he struggled in moments against good defenses, and it made me think he’d be more of a project than you’d like to invest in with a top five pick. Of course, the optimist would say “look at all the talent there,” and roll the dice on the guy. It might prove to be a solid play. As far as Polk goes, I just didn’t find him to be a particularly elusive or nuanced wide receiver. I slotted him in as a contested catch, reliable hands, safety valve guy, but looking back, it’s entirely possible that he was cast in a role that wasn’t necessarily indicative of his full potential skill set. That Huskies offense had plenty of mouths to feed between Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and him.
However you feel about these young bucks sparking things up at camp, I’d put the Patriots in the category of “fun and feisty” for 2024. While I don’t think they’ll win many games, the arrow is pointing in the right direction. If Polk and Maye actually hit and become the players they’ve been in practice on the field this fall, it could mean the franchise has two crucial building blocks for years to come. Strap up, Pats fans – this is going to be a fun one.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and āMinds right, asses tight.ā āBig Naturalā covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
SoBros Network and Stacking The Inbox have teamed up for the greatest premium content collaboration in the history of Nashville. Get all of the Tennessee Titans and NFL Draft coverage you need on top of premium SoBros Network content such as The Movie Review Rewind Podcast, Sports Punch, and much more! Only $5/month gets you instant access to an exhaustive content library of articles, podcasts, and videos created exclusively for our subscribers! Sign up on Substack today!
