The New England Patriots made some much-needed repairs to their wide receiver room during this year's NFL Draft through their decision to double up on the position with the selections of Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker.
Both options present some notably high upside to entering this offense as immediate impact players who can continue to gain chemistry with their new franchise quarterback Drake Maye. This Patriots pass-catching room failed to have a member gain over 600 receiving yards during their previous campaign, so both of these guys should prove to be valuable depth pieces for the 2024 season and beyond.
When projecting how the rookies' roles will look in year one, some see a potentially wide-open opportunity for one of these guys to burst onto the scene. Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine predicts that Javon Baker could be a key player to watch heading into 2024, noting a chance for the fourth-round pick to have "a path for playing time":
"The 6'1", 203-pound receiver has a few things going for him. For one, he's an excellent contested-catch weapon on a team that doesn't have a whole lot of them... It's also a little easier to see a path for playing time for Baker because of the general lack of depth at the position... Baker has the unfortunate distinction of being in a loaded receiver draft class that made it hard to stand out. Now he's on one of the league's most depleted rosters and will have a chance to shine right away in training camp, and if he can outperform rookie second-round pick Ja'Lynn Polk, he could have a big role."Alex Ballentine, Bleacher Report
New England has a collection of receivers on hand that can provide some solid production, but lack a true number-one target that jumps off the page.
Guys like Kendrick Bourne, Pop Douglas, and JuJu Smith-Schuster will be returning into this offense to help hopefully get this unit back on track from a borderline league-worst effort in 2023, but Baker presents a fresh option into the fold that has the potential to be a productive NFL pass catcher.
If Baker is able to show out during camp and preseason, it could have the ability to merit him a high snap count from the start and allow him to hit the ground running with whoever ends up as the starter under center.
Baker showed out as a primary target in UCF's offense during his senior season, where he posted 52 receptions, 1,139 yards, and seven touchdowns en route to his selection to New England. If he can emulate any of that impact at the NFL level, the Patriots will have gotten a gem with their day-three pick.
Fans will get a better look at each of their new receivers, as well as their rookie QB when Patriots training camp finally kicks off later this month on July 24th.
