Prior to the 2024 NFL draft, an NFL scouting report described Central Florida wide receiver Javon Baker as “very natural and instinctive … he made quality plays on the ball in game after game.”
The report went on to say that Baker “has the traits and skill level of an NFL receiver and should fight for an eventual shot as a WR3/4.” The New England Patriots under then-new head coach Jerod Mayo agreed. They took Baker in the fourth round, 110th overall, and signed him to a four-year rookie contract at $4,836,596.
A post draft evaluation by Boston area media outlet CLNS gushed about the Atlanta native, saying “Baker may have been the second receiver drafted by the Patriots, but the rookie could end this season as their most productive pass-catcher.”
Baker did not even come close to delivering on that promise, or justifying the fourth round pick the Patriots used on him.
In 11 games he was targeted just four times, and caught a grand total of one pass.
After one game in which Mayo scratched him from the active lineup, the then-coach appeared to imply that he was not happy with Baker’s overall approach to the game, saying that the receiver “just has to continue to progress and continue to develop, both on the field and off the field.”
I am SO disappointed Javon Baker didn’t come down with this. What a gorgeous throw by Drake Maye
Still Getting on Coach’s Bad Side
As he began his second year with the Patriots, Baker wasted no time once again getting on the wrong side of his coach. This time it was Mike Vrabel, hired in January after Mayo was fired with just one 4-13 season under his belt.
During an OTA practice, Baker “made an impressive deep ball reception … after pushing off cornerback Brandon Crossley. After making the play, Baker celebrated and slowly jogged back to the huddle, while his other 10 teammates waited,” according to USA Today Patriotswire correspondent Jordy McElroy.
As result of his disastrous rookie season and continued coach-annoying behavior, Baker is now seen to have a “tenuous, to say the least” hold on his 53-man roster spot, according to NBC Sports Boston Patriots insider Phil Perry.
But in a blunt, and profane three-word message posted to his Instagram account on Tuesday, Baker made a defiant statement — signaling his determination to get into top shape and make the roster.
Baker Making This Season ‘Personal’
Over a video of himself working out and catching a pass in t-shirt and shorts, Baker posted the words, “This s**t personal.”
“Baker appears to be heading into training camp with a clear focus on playing up to his full potential. He has shown flashes of that potential as a breakout receiving talent, but he has lacked consistency on the field,” wrote Patriotswire‘s Danny Jailett on Tuesday. “The hope is that he matures into an explosive playmaker for the Patriots outside of the numbers. That might be the only chance he has of sticking on the 53-man roster at this point.”
The competition for wide receiver slots is more intense this year than last, with the additions of free agents Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins, third-round draft pick Kyle Williams out of Washington State and attention-grabbing undrafted free agent signing Efton Chism from Eastern Washington.
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