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

After securing Drake Maye at No. 3 overall, New England went into the second round of the draft with the 34th selection. The Patriots ultimately ended up with the Chargers from that point, a trade that included a pick swap in which Los Angeles also received a fifth-round pick while the Patriots added an additional fourth-round pick.

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

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

McConkey had three games with more than 100 yards, showing the type of performance that has made him a favorite of quarterback Justin Herbert.

“He runs such great routes and comes back with such a friendly attitude,” Herbert said last month. “He’s never in danger. He never directly encounters a man who wants to cover for him. He just has a great feel for the zone (defense) and enough agility to beat man coverage.

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

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

Meanwhile, Polk struggled through an inconsistent rookie season with 12 catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Baker hasn’t registered a reception yet.

While the deal had a significant impact on both teams, McConkey remains the biggest name involved and the biggest “what if?” factor. 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 who can provide open coverage versus man-to-man coverage.

“Look, he’s playing well right now. He also does a good job of finding space in zone coverage. He’s definitely a player to keep an eye on.”

While he primarily operates out of the slot, McConkey has also seen time on the perimeter, making him a challenge to cover for the Patriots.

“He’s definitely a player of choice for them,” defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington said. “For a rookie, I would say he’s playing really, really well. Good speed, good route runner. They will move him. Move him. So he will definitely be a point of attack on Saturday.”

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

“This is hard. Like I said, coming in as a rookie, it’s not always the first year to shine. It takes some time to get used to the pro game,” offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said of Polk, who played just three snaps last Sunday against the Bills.

“Again, lots of confidence in Polk. Baker too. I’m excited to get these guys up and running. If we can do it this year, great. If not, an offseason to help them learn the system. Sometimes things don’t go the way you want them to. You just have to prove to yourself that you can get out of there. That’s what we continue to promote with Polk. I’m not down on him at all.”

Van Pelt said Kayshon Boutte was a good example of a receiver who needed some time to find himself. Last season as a rookie, Boutte had just two catches for 19 yards in five games. This year, the LSU product recorded 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 about,” Van Pelt said. “I don’t see these guys as one-off players at all. They’re here to grow and develop in our system. I expect these guys to come and join us next year help a lot.”

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