Patriots Select Receiver Javon Baker In Fourth Round Of NFL Draft

The Patriots are all about putting pieces around Drake Maye, making yet another selection to aid their rookie quarterback.

New England selected UCF wide receiver Javon Baker in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, adding another weapon alongside second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk. Caedan Wallace and Layden Robinson were also added in back-to-back selections, giving the Patriots two versatile options on the offensive line.

Baker is a burner, who will give Maye a vertical threat on the outside while providing some versatility in the receiver room. He stands at 6-foot-1, 202 pounds, and fits the mold of what Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf typically looks for almost exactly, which is why we wrote about him long before the draft.

He’s a tad slower than wide receivers that typically are drafted, and his lack of agility at times hurt his case at really separating himself from the class. But he can play football.

Baker caught 108 balls for 1,935 yards and 12 touchdowns over the past two seasons at UCF, breaking out after transferring from Alabama. He’ll compete for reps on the outside along with the likes of Polk, Kendrick Bourne and K.J. Osborn.