Young Patriots WR Making Most of Unique Opportunity

FOXBORO, MA. — After his rookie season resulted in just one catch, Javon Baker realized that to crack the New England Patriots’ Week 1 roster, he might need to contribute on more than just offense.

So how did the second-year wideout fare in his 2025 preseason debut? Baker recorded two tackles as one of the Patriots’ top gunners alongside All-Pro Brenden Schooler. One of the main reasons why Baker has been able to perform so well was because he’s been watching his teammate.

“The best in the league,” Baker said following Friday’s 48-18 win over the Washington Commanders. “Brenden Schooler. Why not? Every down, every play, he does 110% going 100 miles per hour.”

The impression Baker made on those watching didn’t go unnoticed. A typical trend throughout the preseason is that whatever you can do to help the team, that’s going to get you more chances to make a football team.

“I think that that’s fantastic,” head coach Mike Vrabel said following Friday’s 48-18 win over the Washington Commanders. “We’ve got players, especially receivers, that can create a role and they can help you, and they can be big and physical, and everything that we see on Javon as a receiver.”

Jul 23, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Javon Baker (6) makes a catch during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The fourth-round pick last season struggled – both with getting on the field and when he did earn snaps, finding ways to parlay those into meaningful reps. Baker was asked postgame how much he values using special teams snaps to build his case.

“A lot, especially if it creates a role on this team,” Baker admitted.

The Patriots originally had second-year cornerback Marcellas Dial as a gunner, but a season-ending ACL tear this past week forced others to step up.

“When you can embrace that, and they can embrace that as special teams players, guys are big and physical and fast and willing, that translates to special teams. So, excited and just happy for Javon, just being able to go out there and contribute, and when you do those things, your teammates get excited, and hopefully his confidence continues to grow.”

Baker didn’t get any receptions on offense during the win, but finds himself in a crowded wide receiver room heading into the second week of preseason games. Rookies Efton Chism III (six receptions, one touchdown) and Jeremiah Webb (41 receiving yards) had productive evenings, while John Jiles also made some big plays across the middle of the field. If Baker wants to crack the Patriots roster once the month of September rolls around, he will need to continue to stack days on the special teams units.

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