The Patriots used a fourth-round pick to add Baker this spring, after taking fellow wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk in the second round. Baker was a four-star recruit who began his college career at Alabama, where he was unable to secure regular playing time. A transfer to UCF fixed that problem and allowed Baker to haul in 108 passes for 1,935 yards and 12 TDs over the final two years of his college career. A 4.54 40 at the 2024 Combine may have hurt his draft stock, though it's hardly disqualifying for a 6-foot-1, 202-pound receiver. In New England, Baker will catch passes from fellow rookie Drake Maye and/or Jacoby Brissett, with competition for WR snaps including Polk, Demario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne and K.J. Osborn. Given that none of the bunch is a burner, Baker's size and strength might actually make him the best deep threat of the group (he averaged 21.9 yards per catch for UCF last season).
