Draft Analyst Names 'Next Puka Nacua' - Should Los Angeles Rams Draft Him?

Could UCF Knights receiver Javon Baker be the Los Angeles Rams' latesst diamond in the rough?

Nov 11, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights wide receiver Javon Baker (1) catches a pass in / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Rams found some gems in the later rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft, with none being more impressive than Puka Nacua.

As a fifth-round pick out of BYU, no one had very high expectations for Nacua in his rookie season. He quickly took the NFL world by storm, though, as he caught 105 passes for 1,486 yards (both rookie records) and six touchdowns.

Nacua finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, but that was only due to a superb season by Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and not an indictment on him. In most other seasons, Nacua could've run away with the award.

Nov 11, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights wide receiver Javon Baker (1) catches a pass in / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the Rams hit it out of the park with Nacua, every team in the league will be looking to replicate that success. Finding another late-round wideout who could have that success out of the gate is difficult, but according to NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, UCF Knights receiver Javon Baker could be a strong candidate to do so.

“I look at a guy like Javon Baker from UCF. You know, the former Alabama transfer who’s a vertical stretch wide receiver averaging over 20 yards a catch," Jeremiah said on "Path to the Draft." He’s a home run hitter. He’s someone that can impact the game even when he’s not catching the football because his speed, the way he plays the game. His play speed is going to steer safeties out of the box and help your run game. So I feel like if you know exactly how to use him, he can be an impact player.”

An Atlanta native, Baker had an extremely impressive season in 2023. The 6-1, 202-pound receiver led the Big 12 with 1,139 receiving yards, and his 21.9 yards per reception ranked second in the country among qualified players.

Baker may not seem that fast as he ran a 4.54-second 40-yard dash at the combine, but his tape shows that he can indeed stretch the field.

The Knights star is projected to be a mid-round pick, which places the Rams in an interesting situation if they decide to target him. They don't have a fourth-round pick, but could decide to take him in the third round if they want him. If they get really lucky, they could even nab him in the fifth round.

With Tutu Atwell and Demarcus Robinson already on the depth chart, Baker would probably not see a lot of immediate playing time with the Rams, unless he actually is the second coming of Nacua. As a future investment, though, they could get some value out of Baker.