Following a standout senior season at UCF, Javon Baker’s childhood dream has now come to fruition as the wide receiver was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft Saturday. Held in Detroit, Michigan, Baker was taken with the 110th overall pick by the New England Patriots.
After leading the Big 12 Conference in receiving yards with 1,139, Baker was tabbed a first-team selection on the All-Big 12 team chosen by league coaches. That mark also ranked 16th in the NCAA.
The Atlanta native finished the season ranked second in the nation in yards per catch with 21.9, leading the conference. Baker hauled in 52 passes, making several highlight reel catches, and scored seven touchdowns.
UCF ➡️ New England
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) April 27, 2024
Patriots got a steal in Javon Baker!@Javondbaker1 | #NFLDraft | @Patriots pic.twitter.com/2d8pcwQuWe
Baker put together his best performance at the collegiate level in his final game in the Black and Gold, tallying a career-high nine receptions for a career-best 173 yards with a touchdown against Georgia Tech in the Gasparilla Bowl.
He surpassed 100 yards receiving in five games during the season, headlined by four in Big 12 Conference games. Baker recorded a reception in all 27 games he played as Knight.
As a junior, Baker was UCF’s second-leading receiver with 796 yards to rank among the top 10 in the conference. He scored five touchdowns and was tabbed a second-team all-conference selection by Pro Football Focus.
Baker is the 49th UCF player to be selected in the NFL Draft and the first wide receiver selected since 2021 when Jacob Harris and Tre Nixon were taken. He is the fourth Knights player drafted by the Patriots, joining Nixon (2021), Asante Samuel (2003) and Elgin Davis (1987).