The New England Patriots entered the offseason with many holes to fill on both sides of the ball.

After finishing the 2023 season tied for the second-worst record in the league, this team needs some help if they want to make the playoffs in 2024.

While the team has traded away Mac Jones, likely electing to draft a quarterback with their No. 3 overall pick, quarterback is just one position the Patriots are looking to improve on.

Many around the league believe the Patriots have one of the worst skill-position groups, as their wide receivers and tight ends leave something to be desired.

The Patriots have made a few small moves to this point, adding K.J. Osborn and Austin Hooper.

However, the team was said to be in on Calvin Ridley, which could have been a massive boost to their receiver room.

After Ridley went to the Tennessee Titans, Jerod Mayo had a positive spin on the situation, according to reporter Evan Lazar.

“Obviously, we were disappointed that Ridley went in a different direction, but we’re good. I like the direction that we’re going,” Mayo said.

#Patriots HC Jerod Mayo: "Obviously, we were disappointed that Ridley went in a different direction, but we're good. I like the direction that we're going." https://t.co/Mk0hW6vhv2

— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) March 24, 2024

At first glance, many fans saw Mayo’s comments as coach-speak.

There is still an understanding that the Patriots have several more moves to make before the season starts if they want any chance of competing for a playoff spot.

With the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, and Miami Dolphins all taking strides this offseason, the Patriots need to find a way to catch up before it’s too late in their division.

UCF wide receiver Javon Baker becomes Patriots’ first reported Top-30 visit

The Patriots have begun the next phase of their pre-draft evaluation process.

With college all-star games and the Scouting Combine in the rear-view mirror, and with the pro day cycle also nearing its completion, the New England Patriots have started the next phase of their pre-draft evaluation period. They have started setting up Top-30 visits.

The first prospect linked to the team that way is UCF wide receiver Javon Baker, according to a report by Tony Pauline of spoortskeeda.com.

Baker, 22, started his college career at Alabama but transferred to Central Florida after two seasons of uneven opportunity. His two years with the Knights, meanwhile, were more productive: appearing in 27 games, he caught 108 passes for 1,935 yards and 12 touchdowns, and was named a first-team All-Big 12 selection as a senior in 2023. Baker also was invited to both the Senior Bowl and the Combine.

A perimeter receiver who has shown an ability to make contested catches and stretch the field vertically, Baker projects as a mid-round selection in this year’s draft. He brings a somewhat raw profile to the equation, after all, and did not jump off the page through his testing numbers.

Baker was measured at 6-foot-1, 202 pounds at the combine. While his size is solid and he also performed well in the vertical jump (37”), his broad jump (10’1”) and especially his 40-yard dash (4.54) were lacking. In fact, he ranked only 26th of 30 wideouts running the 40 at the Combine in Indianapolis. His 7.72 Relative Athletic Score is a reflection of this.

The Patriots, however, might still be compelled to invest in Baker early on Day 3. The team is need of upgrades and developmental talent at the wide receiver position, and the UCF product would offer just that.

At the very least, we know New England is interested in him.

Every club is allowed to bring 30 prospects in for private evaluation. The “Top-30” name is a bit misleading, though, because the “top” part actually does not refer to anything: teams are allowed to take a look at every level of prospect they want, and those visits do not tell whether a club indeed has an early- or late-round grade on a player.

Instead, the visits primarily serve to complete the mosaic that is pre-draft evaluation. Teams might want to get a more intimate look at how a player handles himself during what is essentially a full day in the building and can include several components — from watching film, to medical checkups, to gathering information on other prospects. On-field activity such as workouts are not allowed.

Last year, six of the Patriots’ 12 draft picks had reported Top-30 contact with the Patriots, including first-round selection Christian Gonzalez.