Last weekend, the New England Patriots selected Javon Baker in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
But rather than celebrating the occasion, the former UCF and Alabama wide receiver finds himself even further motivated, taking offense to the fact that he was the 18th player at his position selected in this year’s draft.
“No way in f***ing America 10 receivers better than me,” Baker can be seen saying in a video that was posted to social media. “You’re out of your f***ing mind.”
Javon Baker was the 19th WR taken in the draft, with his teammate Ja’Lynn Polk going as WR10.
Baker: “No way in f***ing America 10 receivers better than me. You’re out of your f***ing mind.” pic.twitter.com/E0ZqIcfpzl
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) May 2, 2024
In heading to New England, the 22-year-old Baker should have plenty of opportunities to prove his point, as he joins a Patriots wide receiving corps lacking in consistent playmakers. One player he’ll likely find himself battling with for playing time also happens to be one of the prospects who was picked ahead of him in Ja’Lynn Polk, who New England selected in the second round of last week’s draft.
As for the other wide receivers who were picked ahead of Baker, that list includes seven first-round picks in Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall and Xavier Legette. Time will tell whether he can make good on his proclamation, but he certainly wouldn’t be the first player in Patriots history to outperform his draft position.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.