Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
— Functional long speed. Becomes more threatening the longer he gets to stride out.
— Above-average route-runner. Shows good pacing and understands how to set DBs up in order to cross their face efficiently.
— Good quickness and lateral explosion. Facilitates his route-running ability.
— Above-average ability to track the ball. Can make some catches in traffic as well as find the ball over his shoulder.
— Useful YAC ability. Can win with explosion and balance.
— Below-average acceleration. Kind of lumbers out of stance, takes time to hit top speed.
— Needs to improve his hand-fighting and ability to work through contact. Bullied into the sideline too often.
— Struggles to stop and come back for the ball in the air. Often misjudges where the ball is and mistimes jump.
— 13 G, 52 REC, 1,139 YDS (21.9 AVG), 7 TD
— 4-star recruit in Alabama’s 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports
— Transferred from Alabama to UCF in 2022
— 2023 first-team All-Big 12 (Coaches)
— Attended 2024 Senior Bowl
Javon Baker is a downfield wide receiver with the ball-tracking ability and route-running skills to blossom into an NFL starter.
Baker is a vertical receiver first and foremost, which sounds odd for someone who ran a modest 4.54-second 40-yard dash at the combine. While his acceleration is lackluster, Baker does hit a solid top speed once he gets there. He has enough juice to make defenses respect him deep outside the numbers.
What Baker lacks in pure speed, he makes up for with ball tracking. Although he isn’t someone who stops and climbs the ladder, Baker finds the ball well on the move. He shows calm eyes and hands when catching outside his frame, and there are some delightful flashes on his film where he tracks the ball over his shoulder cleanly.
There’s something to be unlocked with Baker as a route-runner as well. He’s a deliberate route-runner with enough quickness to keep defensive backs off balance. You regularly see Baker buy extra bits of space by threatening vertically before snapping routes off.
With that said, Baker needs to improve when he’s pressed at the line or bothered later in routes. His hand-fighting is lackluster right now. He can be susceptible to DBs running him into the sideline and never letting him stride out.
With the ball in his hands, Baker is effective. He shows some explosive ability and good balance to pair with a fairly natural pace as a runner. He is the type who can turn five yards into 10 consistently.
Baker’s questionable physicality and lack of immediate burst may mean he’ll need time to hone the rest of his game before seeing the field a lot in the NFL. Still, he profiles well as a developmental player who can become a useful vertical threat on the outside.
GRADE: 6.5 (Potential Role Player/Contributor — 4th Round)
PRO COMPARISON: Kendrick Bourne
Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen
