Ladd McConkey represents someone who got away from the Patriots

FOXBOROUGH — For the Patriots, Saturday’s game against the Chargers will serve not only as a test against a playoff-ready roster, but a painful reminder of a draft weekend blunder from last spring.

After taking Drake Maye no. 3 overall, New England entered the second round of the draft with the 34th pick. The Patriots ended up trading out of that spot with the Chargers, a trade that included a pick swap that saw Los Angeles also land a fifth-round pick while the Patriots added an extra fourth-round pick.

With those picks, the Patriots took wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk at No. 37 and wide receiver Javon Baker as no. 110. With their pick, the Chargers drafted wide receiver Ladd McConkey (34th overall) and cornerback Tarheeb Still (137th).

In hindsight, the deal backfired on the Patriots. McConkey had 87 yards last week against the Broncos. Polk has 87 on the season. McConkey, a Georgia product, leads the Chargers with 69 catches for 960 yards and five touchdowns, and will undoubtedly receive votes for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

McConkey has had three games with more than 100 yards while playing the production that has made him a favorite of quarterback Justin Herbert.

“He runs such great routes and comes back at such a friendly angle,” Herbert said last month. “He never runs into danger. He never runs right into a guy who’s going to cover him. He just has a good feel for zone (defenses) and has enough alertness to be able to beat man coverage.

“Having a combination like that, a guy who really understands defense and how people want to play him, he just finds a way to get open.”

Still, a fifth-round pick out of Maryland has made 10 starts this season and has four interceptions — second among rookies — as well as 10 pass breakups, a pick-6 and 51 tackles.

Meanwhile, Polk has struggled through an inconsistent rookie season with 12 catches for 87 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Baker has not yet registered a reception.

While the deal had major implications for both teams, McConkey remains the biggest name involved, and the biggest “what if?” of the draft for Patriots fans.

“We did some work on him,” Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said when asked about McConkey and the pre-draft process. “A guy that can get open versus man-to-man coverage.

“Look, he’s playing well right now. He’s also doing a good job of finding space in zone coverages. He’s definitely a player to watch.”

While he has primarily operated out of the backfield, McConkey has also seen time on the boundary, making him a challenge for the Patriots to cover.

“He’s definitely a go-to player for them,” defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington said. “I’d say for a rookie, he’s playing really, really well. Good quickness, good route runner. They move him around. Move him. So he’ll definitely be a point-of-attack guy on Saturday.”

Polk played well last summer and appeared to be on track with five starts in his first six games. But a concussion seemed to set him back, and over the last eight games he has two catches on nine targets for 9 yards and a touchdown.

“It’s tough. Like I’ve said before, coming in as a rookie, you don’t always light up your first year. It takes a little time to adjust to the professional game,” offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said of Polk. who played just three snaps last Sunday against the Bills.

“Again, lots of confidence with Polk. Baker, too. Excited to get those guys going. If we can get it going this year, great. If not, an offseason to help them learn the system. Sometimes things don’t work out your way. You just have to prove yourself. That’s what we’re going to encourage with Polk.”

Van Pelt said Kayshon Boutte is a good example of a receiver who took some time to come into his own. Last season, Boutte had just two catches for 19 yards in five games as a rookie. This year, the LSU product has 32 catches for 444 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games.

Van Pelt is betting that Polk and Baker will follow the same path.

“Absolutely. And that’s what it’s all about,” Van Pelt said. “I don’t see these guys as one-and-done players at all. They’re here to grow and develop in our system. I expect that those guys are going to come out and help us a ton next year.”

Christopher Price can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him @cpriceglobe.