Declaring for the NFL Draft after his junior year, Baker was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round (36th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft. He quickly made a significant impact in his rookie year, earning both first-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection as a special teamer in 2017, immediately establishing himself as a top talent in the National Football League. Baker’s career with the Cardinals has been defined by consistent elite performance at the safety position. Since entering the league in 2017, he has led all NFL defensive backs in total tackles with 874 and solo tackles with 603, including leading all NFL defensive backs in solo tackles in 2019.
His 164 tackles were the second most in the NFL that season and represented the most by a Cardinals defender since at least 1991. He reached 100 tackles in just 10 games in 2024, a benchmark not achieved by a Cardinals player since at least 1991.