Javon Baker brings serious big play potential to the Patriots offense

The UCF wide receiver was selected 110th overall by the Patriots.

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but the New England Patriots’ outside wide receiver group was a problem heading into the 2024 NFL Draft. The top options to fill the X-receiver spot were Jalen Reagor as well as a bunch of tweeners in Tyquan Thornton and K.J. Osborn.

Needless to say, the potential for improvement was significant, something the team recognized when it selected Ja’Lynn Polk out of Washington in the second round. The Patriots were not done, however, going back to the receiver well on Day 3.

Javon Baker, you are a Patriot.

Hard facts

Name: Javon Baker

Position: Wide receiver

School: UCF (via transfer from Alabama)

Opening day age: 22 (2/18/2002)

Measurements: 6’1 2/8”, 202 lbs, 78 1/4” wingspan, 32 1/4” arm length, 9 5/8” hand size, 4.54s 40-yard dash, 37” vertical jump, 10’1” broad jump, 7.84 Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Career statistics: 48 games (24 starts) | 1,696 offensive snaps, 132 special teams snaps | 195 targets, 117 catches (60%), 2,051 receiving yards, 13 TDs

Accolades: First-team All-Big 12 (2023)

Baker was a highly-productive pass catcher and All-America selection during his high school career at McEachern in his hometown of Atlanta, GA. The four-star recruit then decided to join the University of Alabama after receiving offers from several prominent power-five programs. His time with the Crimson Tide, however, was a quiet one.

In two seasons in Tuscaloosa, Baker appeared in 21 games with no starts and caught just nine passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. Following the 2021 season, he therefore decided that a change of scenery was in order and transferred to UCF after him joining Kentucky fell through after an initial commitment.

Baker spent his junior and senior campaigns with the Knights under head coach Gus Malzahn, and developed into the player he was supposed to become coming out of high school. Between his 2022 and 2023 campaigns, he saw action in 27 games and caught 108 passes for 1,935 yards and 12 touchdowns. The first-team All-Big 12 selection was invited to the Scouting Combine and Senior Bowl after the end of his college career.

Draft profile

Pick: 4-110 | Consensus big board: No. 95

Strengths: Baker is a big play waiting to happen. An explosive wide receiver who offers solid baseline athleticism and a good frame, he averaged 21.9 yards per catch during his senior season at UCF with an average depth of target of 17.1 yards past the line of scrimmage. He accomplished those numbers through a combination of positive skills, starting with his varied route running. He has a natural feel for acceleration and tempo manipulation, which allows him to out-leverage defenders through the stem of his route.

In addition, Baker offers some of the best body control in this year’s draft. His concentration and hand-eye coordination are exceptional, and he is able to track deep balls very well. He also offers the timing and physicality to out-jump and/or out-muscle defenders in contested catch situations, with the latter also coming in handy against press-man coverage, or as a blocker on running and screen plays. He has shown he can make catches outside his natural frame, too, and at times was a human highlight reel the last two years.

Baker furthermore offers good yards-after-the-catch potential. He quickly transitions from receiver to runner with the ball in his hands, and has the second gear to run away from defenders and capitalize on suspect attack angles. He also offers some positional flexibility after having aligned both on the outside and in the slot during his time with the Knights.

Weaknesses: Baker’s athleticism was functional in college and is by no means a red flag or disqualifier of any kind. However, he does lack truly elite traits across the board and his 4.54-second 40-yard dash ranks just in the 38 percentile among wide receiver prospects. He won’t burn NFL defenders deep as easily as he did Big 12 opponents, which in turn will put pressure on him to run more precise routes and use his feet better to create separation.

Baker also had some issues finishing catches. He had 15 drops between his stints at Alabama and UCF, which at times looked like either the result of uneven technique — not dragging his feet, relying too much on his body rather than his hands — and uneven concentration.

Patriots preview

What will be his role? Baker projects as an X-receiver at the next level, and given the Patriots’ current depth chart at that particular spot in the lineup might see starter-level reps from early on in his career. He is no one-trick pony, though, and also could move around the formation to create favorable matchups. In addition, he might have value as a red zone target due to his ability to come down with the ball even with bodies around him.

What is his growth potential? If Baker can get more consistent in his route running to more effectively counteract some of his missing long speed, he could develop into a three-down receiver on the perimeter. Under the right circumstances, he could become a WR1-type player even with his athletic profile overall being less impressive than that of other wideouts in this year’s draft.

Does he have positional versatility? Baker’s positional versatility is pretty much limited to offense, where he played not just on the outside but also in the slot to a lesser degree. He does have some special teams experience as well, mostly on the punt and kickoff return teams, but never actually ran back a kick in college.

Why the Patriots? Remember that list of outside receiver candidates we mentioned right at the beginning of this profile? Need we say more? Besides the obvious lack of starter-caliber talent at the position, Baker himself also has some intriguing traits for a still relatively young player. His vertical abilities in particular will add another dimension to New England’s current offensive personnel.

One-sentence verdict: While he may not be the flashiest draft pick from a testing perspective, Baker could contribute early in his career.

What do you think about the selection of Javon Baker for the Patriots? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.