DeMario Douglas vows Patriots wide receivers will be ‘way better’ this season
FOXBORO — Rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker aren’t just making highlight plays in training camp, they’re also leading the way in motivating the rest of the Patriots’ wide receiver room.
Polk and Baker both responded to an Instagram post noting that the Patriots’ wide receiver room ranks 32nd out of 32 teams. Both PFF and Sharp Football Analysis ranked the Patriots as having the NFL’s worst wide receiver group.
Polk wrote, “Y’all screenshot this and remember” on his Instagram stories Saturday. Baker wrote “Mark it.” Second-year wide receiver DeMario “Pop” Douglas is also feeling good about his group of pass catchers.
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“If y’all had seen the rookies instagram, it said 32 out of 32 out of receiver. Yeah, I don’t think they’re having it, so what does that tell you about us vets? It’s a little something to it. When they say 32 out of 32, I don’t like that,” Douglas said.
“It motivates me, and I see it motivates others too. I feel like if the younger guys feel that way, it’s going to do nothing but motivate us too. I feel like it’s going to be good this year.”
The 2023 sixth-round pick, who caught 49 passes for 561 yards as a rookie last season, vowed that the Patriots’ wide receivers would be better this season.
“I seen that on their Instagram, I said I know it’s going to be a dawg world this year,” Douglas said. “That’s how I know it’s going to be. It’s going to be nice this year, way better than we did last year. Don’t get me wrong, we had some receivers, but I feel like this is a whole different room this year.”
Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte and Jalen Reagor are returning, while Polk, Baker, free-agent pickup K.J. Osborn, undrafted free agents JaQuae Jackson and David Wallis and Kawaan Baker are new to the room.
Douglas has especially been impressed with Polk and Javon Baker. Polk made a highlight play on a deep ball from rookie quarterback Drake Maye on Friday. Baker caught a 60-yard bomb from rookie quarterback Joe Milton III on Friday and hauled in a deep over-the-shoulder catch from quarterback Jacoby Brissett on Sunday.
“They coming in and playing with us with the ones. They’re doing what they’re supposed to do. I feel like they can come in and play this year,” Douglas said.
Douglas has been sitting out of team drills with a hand injury.
“But I’m good, but we’re going to make sure everything’s good before I go out there,” Douglas said.
The 5-foot-8, 192-pound slot receiver was itching to get onto the field during 1-on-1s on Sunday. He was a standout as a rookie in those same drills.