Patriots' Ja'Lynn Polk Says He Has NFL's 'Best Hands' amid Criticism of Drops

Ezra Shaw/ New England Patriots rookie wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk is confident in his pass-catching ability despite a recent stretch of drops.

"I believe I have the best hands in the league," Polk said, per Mark Daniels of MassLive (h/t NFL.com's Nick Shook ). "So, I feel like my drops, that's not an issue at all."

The 2024 second-round pick has been credited with three drops through the first six games of his NFL career, with two occurring over New England's past two contests.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo cited Polk's drop issues when discussing the wideout's recent lack of playing time.

"I think he just needs to get over this mental hump," Mayo said, via Shook. "You've got to eliminate the dropped passes. You've got to be better at blocking, which he did a great job in college at that and at times throughout the season. He just has to continue to grow, and he has to work harder."

"He has to pay more attention to the details, and we fully expect him to grow into a receiver that's dependable on run and pass downs," he added.

Polk initially appeared to be trending in a positive direction, as his snap count increased with each game from Week 3 through Week 5 (h/t Pro Football Reference ). However, the number decreased in Week 6 as he was on the field for just 65 percent of New England's offensive snaps.

He was unable to make an impact in the reduced playing time, catching just one of his four targets for four yards during a 41-21 loss to the Houston Texans.

Polk discussed his smaller role in the Patriots' offense on Wednesday.

"I feel like I'm limited to what I can really do right now," Polk said, per Shook. "I mean, just continue to keep a good mindset and getting better."

The former Washington standout has hauled in 10 receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown this season. There's still more than enough time to make an impact before his rookie campaign comes to an end, especially if he's able to develop a rapport with Drake Maye.

Maye started his first career game against Houston, throwing for 243 yards and three touchdowns to go along with two interceptions.

Polk will look to back up his words regarding his catching ability against New England's Week 7 opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kickoff in London is on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET.