The New England Patriots are looking to bounce back after a dreadful season under Jerod Mayo. New head coach Mike Vrabel brings the appropriate blend of no-nonsense, 'Patriot Way' spirit and, you know, actual accomplishments as a head coach. He will also inherit a much-improved roster as the Patriots attempt to mold a contender around sophomore quarterback Drake Maye.
Key to that improved roster is a quietly loaded wide receiver room. In addition to signing veterans Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins, the Pats added third-round pick Kyle Williams in the draft. He's on track to start Week 1 after a strong preseason.
That makes life difficult for other wideouts attempting to break through in a crowded positional battle, such as 2024 fourth-round pick Javon Baker, who netted only four targets in 11 games as a rookie.
Javon Baker considered 'favorite' of Patriots WRs on roster bubble
Baker excelled in Thursday's joint practice with the Minnesota Vikings, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. He went 4-0 in one-on-one drills against the Vikings DBs. He also caught two passes, a touchdown included, in full-team drills.
"Wide receivers Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte and Kyle Williams should be considered roster locks, and it feels safe to put undrafted rookie Efton Chism on any roster projections," Kyed writes. "Baker is still competing with Ja’Lynn Polk and Kendrick Bourne for a roster spot and is the favorite since he’s healthy."
Baker is essentially competing for the WR5 spot on the Week 1 active roster. His competition is stiff, as Kendrick Bourne has eight years of NFL experience under his belt and Ja'Lynn Polk was a first-round pick — selected 73 spots higher than Baker in the very same 2024 draft. That said, performance can negate pedigree in the NFL, and so far, Baker has outshined his teammates when and where it counts.
Javon Baker needs to keep up the momentum to earn Patriots roster spot
Despite his "favorite" status, Baker is far from safe. There are still three weeks of practice and preseason games left until Eliot Wolf and the Patriots front office make the final cuts for the 53-man roster. That is a lot of time, a lot of football left.
Baker is a bad week of practices, or a couple mistakes in a preseason game, away from meaningfully hurting his chances of making the final roster. Training camp is all about small sample sizes. Very little can be definitively learned from a months of practices and meaningless games, but it is the only allotted time for coaches (and GMs) to survey the entire roster before the games start to count.
As noted in the Boston Herald, Baker can still do more to win over coaches and the front office. He needs to expand his impact beyond the practice field — and even beyond the offense.
"The more Baker can do to prove himself on special teams will help," writes Kyed. "It would be nice to see some of Baker’s practice highlights translate onto a gamefield, as well."
If Baker can carve out his niche on special teams and put together a strong performance against the Vikings on Saturday, it will go a long way toward separating him from the pack.