49ers sign former Patriots 4th-round WR to help Brock Purdy

Billy Heyen

49ers sign former Patriots 4th-round WR to help Brock Purdy image

The San Francisco 49ers aren't passing up a chance to get better.

They've signed a 2024 draft pick to their practice squad, one whom the New England Patriots were pretty high on not too long ago.

The new signing is the WR Javon Baker, with the move reported by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Tuesday.

Baker entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick (110 overall) by the Pats in the 2024 NFL Draft. He had begun his college career at Alabama before finishing it at Central Florida.

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The 6-foot-1, 202-pound receiver played in 11 games as a rookie. He caught just one pass for 12 yards.

Baker was let go by the Patriots before this season. He spent about two months on the Philadelphia Eagles' practice squad before being released in October.

Now, Baker gets another chance.

He's still just 23 years old.

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In his final college season at UCF, Baker was a big-play machine. He had 52 catches for 1,139 yards (21.9 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns.

Baker hasn't been able to capture that level in the NFL so far.

The 49ers get him in a low-risk way. If he looks good in his practice squad role, maybe he can see the field before the year is out or put himself into consideration for a roster spot in 2026.

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