Javon Baker took to social media almost immediately after he was selected by the New England Patriots at No. 110 overall. And while many do the same in order to express their excitement about their new landing spot, Baker’s sentiments were a bit different.
“Took too (expletive) long,” Baker said on Instagram Live, after 17 wide receivers were drafted before him. “Y’all finna pay.”
Baker expanded on those feelings when he spoke to reporters on a video conference shortly after New England’s fourth-round selection. His comments weren’t directed at the Patriots individually, of course, but rather a way of expressing his motivation moving forward.
“Honestly, there’s gonna always be a chip on my shoulder no matter what,” Baker said Saturday afternoon. “I’m self-driven. I know how it feels to be behind somebody, I know how it feels to be bottom of the depth chart. So I’m gonna always have a chip on my shoulder regardless.”
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The Central Florida product, who was viewed as a Day 2 pick after he was named a First Team All-Big 12 selection, carries that on after his collegiate career. After his sophomore season, the 6-foot-1, 202-pound Baker transferred to UCF from Alabama. He was well down the Crimson Tide’s depth chart — a depth chart that included Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith, Jameson Williams, etc. — after he recorded just nine catches for 116 yards and one touchdown during his first two seasons.
Leading up to the NFL draft, many experts and analysts believed Baker would have had a higher draft grade should he have played his final two seasons at Alabama.
So the Patriots not only are getting a highly-motivated receiver who is familiar with Drake Maye, but a player who many considered to be worthy of a higher selection. Baker clearly believed the same.
Featured image via Peter Aiken/USA TODAY Sports Images
