The Cardinals acquired Baker in the second round (36th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft after trading up nine spots (from 45th to 36th) to acquire the University of Washington alum. Baker appeared in all 16 games (7 starts) as a rookie in ’17.
2017: Played all 16 games, starting the final seven, and led all Cardinals rookies with 61 tackles, adding three tackles for loss, one sack, six passes defensed, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a QB hit for the NFL’s sixth-ranked defense … tied for third in the NFL with 16 special teams tackles, earning first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors as a special teamer; became the first Cardinals rookie since Patrick Peterson (2011) to be selected to the Pro Bowl and just the fourth player in franchise history to be selected as a special teamer … notched a special teams tackle in his NFL debut @ Det (9/10) … tallied two tackles in just three defensive snaps and a game-high three special teams tackles @ Ind (9/17) … saw action on defense and special teams, notching a game-high three special teams tackles @ SF (11/5) … saw increased snaps when Tyvon Branch left the game with a knee injury, totaling seven tackles, his first-career pass defensed and two special teams tackles vs. Sea (11/9) … collected a career-high 12 tackles, one for loss, his first-career sack, one pass defensed, two forced fumbles, one recovery, a QB hit and a special teams tackle in his first-career start @ Hou (11/19); only NFL player with at least 10 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles and a recovery in a game in 2017 … led Arizona DBs with eight tackles, one for loss and a pass defensed vs. LAR (12/3) … matched a career high and led the team with 12 tackles in the Cardinals shutout win vs. NYG (12/24) … had three tackles in the season finale win @ Sea (12/31), his first game in his home state of Washington since defeating rival Washington State in the Huskies’ regular season finale in 2016.
In three seasons with the Huskies, Baker started all 40 games he appeared in and totaled 200 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, five INTs, 24 passes defended and three forced fumbles … a consensus NCAA All-American in 2016, was also a two-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection … declared for the draft following his junior season … started all 14 games and led the Huskies with 71 total tackles and 10 tackles for loss, while adding a career-high three sacks with two INTs, eight passes defensed and a forced fumble as a junior in ‘16 … named first-team All-American by the Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Football Writers and FOX Sports … earned second-team All-American honors from the Associated Press, Football Coaches, CBS Sports and USA Today ... semi-finalist for the Bednarik Award (nation’s top defensive player) and Jim Thorpe Award (nation’s top defensive back) … also named second-team Academic All-Pac-12 … in Washington’s College Football Playoff semifinal matchup vs. Alabama had six tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss and a pass defensed … named first-team All-Pac-12 after starting all 12 games he appeared in and recorded 49 tackles, two INTs, 1.5 tackles for loss and a career-high nine passes defensed as a sophomore in ‘15 … named honorable mention Academic All-Pac-12 … as a true freshman in ’14, started all 14 games at safety and earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors after he recorded a career-high 80 tackles, a sack, an INT, seven passes defensed and two forced fumbles ... named freshman All-American by scout.com ... co-winner of the UW's Travis Spring Most Outstanding Freshman award ... notched first career INT (a one-handed, circus catch) vs. Oklahoma State in the Cactus Bowl.
Played safety, running back and was a return specialist on three straight 14-0 teams at Bellevue (WA) High School ... won three consecutive 3A state championships ... Associated Press and Seattle Times State Player of the Year for 2013 and the 2013-14 Seattle Times Male Athlete of the Year (all sports) ... also first-team All-State at both defensive back and all-purpose and was the 3A state Player of the Year ... MaxPreps All-America first-team selection as a senior ... rushed for 101 yards and a score as Bellevue cruised to its sixth straight title with a 52-20 win over Eastside Catholic in the 2013 state title game ... earned MaxPreps Junior All-America first-team honors in 2012 ... scored on a 61-yard run and a 71-yard punt return in the 2012 state championship game ... named to MaxPreps Sophomore All-America second team in 2011 ... scored on an 89-yard kickoff return in Belleuve's 2011 state title victory over O'Dea ... also an outstanding sprinter on the track team ... as a senior, led Bellevue to the state title, winning the 100 meters, the 200 meters and the 4x100 relay ... won the 3A state title in the 100 meters (10.77), the 4x100 relay (41.63) and the 4x400 relay (3:20.12) while taking third in the long jump (22-08.25) as a junior in 2013, when Bellevue won the team title ... won the 4x100 and the 4x400 and took fourth in the long jump and fifth in the 200 as a sophomore in 2012.
