KC Chiefs 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: UCF WR Javon Baker

Should Kansas City add another wideout in the 2024 NFL Draft, is Baker the right option?

Oct 21, 2023; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; UCF Knights wide receiver Javon Baker (1) makes a catch in fron tof Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Gentry Williams (9) during the second half at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The backbone of the Kansas City Chiefs will always be Patrick Mahomes for as long as he's on the roster, but supporting him with quality talent is still paramount.

Luckily for Kansas City, general manager Brett Veach has displayed a solid ability to do so. The NFL Draft is a major part of that process, and this year's edition remains just as important. With the back-to-back reigning world champions eyeing an elusive three-peat, they'll need another good rookie haul to accomplish that feat.

With the draft on the horizon, Arrowhead Report is taking a look at prospects who could hear their names called. Up next is UCF wide receiver Javon Baker.

Background

• Height: 6012
• Weight: 202
• Age at draft: 22
• Relative Athletic Score: 7.84
• 2023: 52 receptions for 1,139 yards and 7 touchdowns
• Played two seasons at Alabama and two at UCF

Where Baker creates advantages

Baker's release package is improved from when he entered college, and it sets the table for the rest of his route. He's one of the best pure ball-winners in this class, competing hard for the football and making the most of his length-size combo. Baker possesses plus timing on his jumps and boasts quality hands that make him a mostly reliable target.

Body control and ball-tracking are two more positives in Baker's profile. The body control helps during and after the reception, as he can fight for extra yards and break off big chunks (averaged over 20 yards per catch as a senior) of yardage. The Alabama and UCF product is savvy with fakes throughout the route and has a good understanding of how to attack a defender's leverage.

Where Baker could be at a disadvantage

Some wondered about Baker's athleticism leading up to the NFL Scouting Combine. His RAS score came back decent enough, although he will still have to answer those questions early in his professional career. Baker lacks great high-end speed and isn't terrific with short-area explosiveness. He somehow threatens vertically anyway, and pretty well. When slowed down against press coverage, though, it can derail him. He's also sometimes slow to throttle down and/or snap off routes.

Speaking of routes, Baker wasn't necessarily asked to do everything from a tree standpoint at UCF. The aforementioned releases are admittedly better but have a ways to go still. With a merely respectable athletic profile, he will have to rely on refined technique to consistently separate. That simply isn't there yet. Baker appears to deal with some concentration lapses, which pop up in his blocking and even the occasional reception attempt.

The verdict

For just about any team looking to add a wide receiver, the 2024 NFL Draft brings seemingly endless possibilities. Tiers from top to bottom feature intriguing options with differing skill sets, measurements and more. Even if a club misses out on a pass catcher in the first round, there will still be nice pieces later on.

Baker profiles as a potential mid-to-late Day Two option for a club wanting a playmaker. He's a relatively alignment-versatile ball-winner with serious upside, but also some legitimate points of hesitation regarding his profile. There's absolutely a world where Baker isn't able to produce at a good enough clip to see the field often early on. Then again, he does enough well that he should enjoy a fruitful NFL career even if the jump takes a while to get used to.

For the Chiefs, Baker is a slightly different prospect than what head coach Andy Reid traditionally values but he'd still be a fascinating selection. His ability to win one-on-one matchups and his penchant for big plays would inject dynamic elements into an offense that lacked them in 2023. While an imperfect prospect, Baker has the "dawg" trait in abundance and is worth a top 100 pick.

Read More: KC Chiefs 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: South Carolina WR Xavier Legette