The New England Patriots are deep in the wilderness about four years after legendary quarterback Tom Brady left, and they’re still at the ground level of their rebuilding process.
They have a new head coach in Jerod Mayo, who played linebacker for them about a decade ago, as well as a new quarterback in No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye.
In the fourth round of last week’s draft, they took Javon Baker, a wide receiver who spent the last two seasons at the University of Central Florida.
Baker has a ton of chutzpah, and he essentially said that he’s already one of the NFL’s top-10 receivers, even though he hasn’t played a single pro game yet, per Dov Kleiman on Twitter.
Baker had a solid 2023 campaign, catching 52 passes and posting 1,139 yards and seven touchdowns for the UCF Knights.
He may not be a speedy wideout, but he is thought to be a good route-runner who tracks the ball well when it is in the air.
The Patriots are coming off a season in which they went 4-13, which was tied for the worst record in the league, and it was the type of miserable season they hadn’t had to endure in decades.
They have many needs, including a legitimate threat at wide receiver, which means Baker could get plenty of targets and touches if he proves that he can do his job well at the next level.
Having Maye, who threw for 62 touchdowns and 7,929 yards in his last two seasons at the University of North Carolina, will also certainly help fast-track Baker’s development.
