The Patriots selected Baker in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 110th overall.
Baker was a four-star recruit and spent his first two years of college at Alabama. He struggled to get on the field with the Crimson Tide before ultimately transferring to UCF, where he combined to post 108 receptions for 1,936 yards and 12 touchdowns in his last two seasons. Baker's ability to translate to the NFL is in question, as he was a big-play threat in college but posted only mediocre size-adjusted speed at the NFL Combine. Nevertheless, the Patriots lack clarity on their wide receiver depth chart, so Baker could emerge with a bigger role than expected.