The New England Patriots have their first top 30 visit scheduled according to Tony Pauline. They are bringing in UCF wide receiver, Javon Baker. Baker is a very talented player who could make an immediate impact in Foxborough. He is a classic outside “X” type of receiver, standing at six foot one inch, and weighing in at 208 pounds. He has the size to compete with any corner that matches up against him, and his physical play style is incredibly valuable. With his size and contested catch ability, Baker could develop into a true number one receiver with the proper coaching. It will be incredibly interesting to see how much the Patriots value him when Draft night rolls around.
New England made bringing back wide receiver Kendrick Bourne in Free Agency a top priority. How could this impact their view on a player like Javon Baker? By building out the receiver room with depth pieces and veteran leadership, the Patriots are showing that they are still looking for a true number one piece.
They have plenty of wide receivers on the roster, but if they can add in a dominant player like Baker, and develop him this off-season, New England fans may see a huge jump in production. Not to mention, if Kendrick Bourne takes Baker under his wing and mentors him, it would be an incredibly valuable piece of the puzzle on offense. Bourne has been a successful receiver at the NFL level, and is a great leader, which could be exactly what a talented rookie like Javon Baker needs to help him reach his potential.
Baker started his college career at the University of Alabama, which should tell you plenty about his talent. Alabama is known for producing some of the best wide receivers at the NFL level. So, the fact that he was recruited to a school known for wide receiver talent, should be incredibly exciting for the Foxborough Faithful.
He then transferred to UCF and put the college football world on notice. He finished the 2023 season with 1,139 yards, and seven touchdowns. If you turn on his game film, you can see how dominant he really is. Being able to take over a game, and cause nightmares for opposing defenses, is something that will translate very well at the next level. The Patriots bringing Baker in shows how much they will value a talented game changer at the receiver position in the NFL Draft.
What does a Top 30 Visit Mean for the Patriots Off-season plans?
A top 30 visit for an NFL team is incredibly important. It shows that whatever player is brought in, is valued by that particular organization. By being able to get a player into the building, and have a sit down with coaches and members of the front office, the Patriots will be able to see if a player is a fit to their scheme and culture. Now that Baker is officially scheduled for a visit to Gillette Stadium, he will be somebody to watch closely on Draft weekend. Patriots fans should get excited about the potential addition of a talented player to a very underwhelming New England offense.