Patriots Picks Drake Maye, Javon Baker Already Have Relationship

The Patriots have been focused on putting pieces around Drake Maye throughout the 2024 NFL Draft, including a pair of wideouts that are expected to contribute right away.

Javon Baker, in particular, might just hit the ground running in New England.

Baker was selected in the fourth round Saturday, and while it isn’t often a guy taken in the middle of the draft is relied upon to make an early impact, his familiarity with Maye should give him a leg up.

Baker and Maye were almost teammates long before Saturday, after all.

Maye, who wound up playing three years at the UNC, once was slated to play for Nick Saban at Alabama. He decommitted, but one of his primary throwing partners in the offseason prior to enrollment was Baker, who spent two seasons with the Crimson Tide before transferring to UCF. It was quite the connection from what we heard following Baker’s selection Saturday, as he waxed poetic about his new QB in a conference call with New England media.

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“Drake Maye was committed to Alabama at first, and me and him used to always practice and throw it around,” Baker shared. “Me and Drake Maye got a connection going on. Drake Maye, in my opinion, is the best quarterback in this draft, so when we connect again — it’s going to be a good connection.

“… He’s a beast, just a competitor, a competitive quarterback,” Baker continued. “That’s what I like in a quarterback, someone who can push me and I can push him.”

Maye, doing the classic quarterback thing, reached out to Baker as soon as he was selected. It was an opportunity to not only congratulate his teammate but perhaps kickstart a revitalization at One Patriot Place.

“He was just telling me, ‘Congrats, let’s get to work,'” Baker relayed. “Ja’Lynn Polk, we’ve been working out this whole process, so us three alone is just going to bring back that winning mentality that everyone likes in Boston.”