Ja’Lynn Polk 2024 Dynasty Rookie Profile
Ja’Lynn Polk 2024 Dynasty Rookie Draft Profile
Position: WR
School: Washington
Class: RS-Junior
Date of Birth: April 11, 2002
Height: 6-1 Weight: 203 lbs
Athletic Testing
40-Time: 4.52
Speed Score: 97.3
Vertical: 37.5”
Broad: 10’9
Shuttle:
3-Cone:
Bio
Ja’Lynn Polk attended Lufkin High School in Texas which had already produced NFL playmakers like Dez Bryant and Keke Coutee. Polk graduated Lufkin ranked second in school history with 131 receptions and 2,412 receiving yards, and third with 24 touchdowns. As a three-star recruit in the class of 2020, Polk committed to play at Texas Tech over offers from Arkansas, Baylor, and Kansas, among others. He played in 10 games as a freshman, catching 28 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns. After the season, Polk opted to transfer to the University of Washington.
A dislocated clavicle in his first game as a Husky cost Polk most of his 2021 campaign. He appeared in just two other games and finished the season with five receptions. Polk was back to a clean bill of health in 2022 when he played in all 13 games as a complimentary weapon behind Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan. He caught 41 passes for 694 yards and six touchdowns.
Polk was elevated to the team’s No. 2 option in 2023 opposite Odunze. That resulted in a breakout season with 69 receptions, 1,159 yards, and nine touchdowns. He scored another touchdown and amassed 32 yards on four rush attempts.
College Stats
Ja’Lynn Polk College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference
Positives
+Ball Tracking
+Great Hands
+Catch Radius
+Contested Catches
+Route Running
+Body Control
+Alignment Versatility
+5 rush attempts over the last two seasons (1 TD)
Negatives
-Needs to vary releases
-Limited production until his final season
-2.02 yards per team pass attempt (2023)
-23% Dominator Rating (2023)
-Age 21 Breakout
Highlight Reel
Archetype: Possession WR
NFL Comp: Josh Palmer
Draft Projection: Second Round
Bottom Line:
Ja’Lynn Polk played second-fiddle to Rome Odunze, and even Jalen McMillan at times, over the last couple seasons at Washington. But that doesn’t mean he should be overlooked during the NFL Draft process. Polk is a talented receiver in his own right. He has good size, athleticism, and possibly the best hands of any wide receiver in the 2024 class. He may not be the fastest, but he has good enough speed to win down field and to create plays after the catch. Polk is also a quality route runner who consistently wins against man coverage and has little trouble creating separation. He can sometimes get held up at the line of scrimmage but that is something that he can work on at the next level.
Where Polk is the most dominant is in contested catch situations. He tracks the ball well down the field and uses his size, strength, and wide catch radius to beat defenders to the catch point. But Polk is far from a one-trick pony. He is a threat on all three levels and can move around the formation—taking snaps from both the slot and out wide. He is a very well-rounded wide receiver who quarterbacks will look to in clutch situations thanks to his reliable hands.
Polk projects as a team’s No. 2 wide receiver at the NFL level who will take snaps at Z and from the slot. Polk will likely be one of several wide receivers drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft, with a real shot to crack the top-50. In dynasty, Polk feels like a high-floor, almost “safe” pick in the second round of rookie drafts.
NEXT: Tez Walker 2024 Dynasty Rookie Profile
Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, PFN, PFF, TDN
RANKINGS | DYNASTY | Rookies
