After using the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on quarterback Drake Maye, the New England Patriots tried to surround him with some weapons. One was second-round wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk, the other was fourth-round pick Javon Baker.

Polk’s first year as a Patriots was quiet, and yet he still managed to outperform Baker — a player who already finds himself under some pressure entering his sophomore campaign.

Hard facts

Name: Javon Baker

Position: Wide receiver

Jersey number: 6

Opening day age: 23 (2/18/2002)

Measurements: 6’1 1/4”, 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, 7.83 Relative Athletic Score

Experience

NFL: New England Patriots (2024-) | College: Alabama (2020-21), UCF (2022-23)

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-5 programs. His time with the Crimson Tide, however, was short-lived.

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. After initially committing to Kentucky, he instead decided to transfer to UCF.

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. A first-team All-Big 12 selection, he ended up getting selected 110th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Patriots.

Serving as a depth receiver and part-time return man, Baker saw action in 11 games as a rookie.

Scouting report

Strengths: Baker offers solid athleticism with a workable frame and what was some of the best body control in the 2024 NFL Draft; his concentration and hand-eye coordination were exceptional coming out of college, as was his ability to track deep balls in the air. He can make catches outside his natural frame, and possesses some yards-after-the-catch potential. He also has a natural feel for acceleration and tempo manipulation through his routes, and combines it with the timing and physicality to out-jump and/or out-muscle defenders in contested catch situations.

Weaknesses: Baker has some solid athleticism but lacks any true blue-chip traits that would give him a clear advantage versus NFL-caliber opponents. His burst and quickness are adequate at best, and mostly on-an-off, and he also can get overwhelmed at the point of attack both against man-to-man coverage and as a run blocker. His route running and anticipation of coverage are a major work in progress, and seemingly limited his level of comfort throughout his first year in the league. Consistency in general is a concern.

2024 review

Stats: 11 games (1 start) | 90 offensive snaps (8.2%), 28 special teams snaps (6.4%) | 4 targets, 1 catch (25%), 12 yards | 3 kickoff returns, 79 yards (26.3 yards/return)

Season recap: Baker made headlines immediately after hearing his name called in the fourth round of the draft, claiming in his introductory media conference call that he would “make people in wheelchairs stand up.” He had reason to be confident considering his performance as a senior in college.

However, he failed to capitalize on his momentum. The people, unfortunately, would have to remain seated.

Unlike second-rounder Ja’Lynn Polk, who was given prominent practice reps from early on in his tenure with the team, Baker spent most of the offseason and training camp with the backups. Struggling with consistency throughout the summer, he entered the regular season as a depth option at the X-receiver spot behind the likes of Tyquan Thornton and Kayshon Boutte.

Thornton eventually flamed out, as did fellow outside receiver Jalen Reagor, but Baker still failed to crack the rotation. Before playing a career-high 39 snaps in the season finale against the Buffalo Bills and catching his first and only career pass, he was on the field for only 51 snaps of offense and failed to reel in any of his three targets.

His most noteworthy contributions came in the kicking game, where he ran back three kickoffs for an average of 26.3 yards and a long of 46 yards. On his very next return attempt after that 46-yarder in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Rams, however, he muffed the catch, still decided to take it out, and after gaining of only 16 yards was benched. It was his final of 28 total special teams snaps on the year.

Not all was bad for Baker in 2024, though; in three preseason games, for example, he caught five passes for 56 total yards.

However, Baker’s positive moments as a rookie were few and far between. As a consequence, his first season with the Patriots can be classified as a disappointment — particularly given the confidence he expressed upon getting drafted by the team.

2025 preview

Position: Rotational X-WR | Ability: Depth player/Role player | Contract: Signed through 2027

What will be his role? Baker is an outside receiver who moved between the X- and Z-receiver spot during his first year in the league. He was mostly used as an X in 2024, though, and projects as such heading into his sophomore year as well. At the moment, he is primarily competing with the likes of Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte and third-round rookie Kyle Williams for what will be a limited number of reps and eventual roster spots at the X position. Given his rookie season, Baker becoming anything more than a package player would be a positive surprise.

What is his growth potential? In one word: immense. Baker struggled adapting to the NFL game and the preciseness needed to succeed in a pro-level environment. Therein lies his main potential for development: he needs to become a better route runner and improve his chemistry with quarterback Drake Maye, as well as his general understanding of offense and defense, if he wants to have a future with the Patriots and in the league as a whole.

Does he have positional versatility? Besides moving Baker between X and Z when on offense, he also showed some ability to return kicks. While he aligned deep on only 14 total snaps during his rookie season, and ran back just three kickoffs, he offers some experience and willingness on special teams.

What is his salary cap situation? Heading into the second season of his four-year rookie contract, Baker is carrying a cap hit of $1.164 million — 42nd on the team. That number consists of a $960,000 salary as well as a fully-guaranteed signing bonus proration of $204,149.

How safe is his roster spot? Even though he was a fourth-round pick just a year ago, Baker’s spot on the team is anything but secure. Unless he shows some major development, as outlined above, he very well could find himself on the chopping block come roster cutdown day.

Summary: Baker was a frustrating player to watch throughout his 2024 season. The natural skill is there, but he was far from putting it all together and become a consistent contributor. Whether that will change under a new offense led by coordinator Josh McDaniels — whose schemes are not necessarily known for their simplicity — will be seen. Fact is, the 23-year-old is likely already feeling the heat and needs to perform to justify being kept in what is a crowded albeit not necessarily settled outside receiver room.