Bills Central

Buffalo Bills line up with under-the-radar Round 1 pick by NFL analyst

As final rankings emerge before the 2025 NFL Draft, some new names are popping up in critical spots, including a surprising pass catcher at No. 30 in Todd McShay's final Top 300.

Brian Letscher

Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane talks to the media at the 2024 NFL Combine.
Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane talks to the media at the 2024 NFL Combine. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
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The NFL Draft is just a day away with teams finalizing their boards based on need and projected availability.

The Buffalo Bills have largely been predicted to go defense with the 30th pick in Round 1 but wide receiver is also a spot where many feel they need help if they want to make a run to the Super Bowl.

Top wide receiver threats mentioned the most for the Bills have been Matthew Golden (Texas), Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State) and Luther Burden III (Missouri). NFL draft analyst Todd McShay recently revealed his latest Top 300 Big Board and had a surprising name at his No. 30 spot — Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State.

Jaylin Noel
Dec 28, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Jaylin Noel (13) runs with the ball against the Miami Hurricanes. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

At 5'10" and 196 pounds, Noel is an explosive athlete who ran a 4.39 forty-yard dash to go with a 41.5" vertical leap at the NFL combine, numbers that put him third in the "Athleticism" rankings according to Next Gen Stats. In 2024, the First-Team All-Big 12 burner ranked ninth in the FBS with 1,194 yards on 80 catches, eight of those for scores.

While Noel certainly has the measurables and tape to suggest he'll be a productive player in the NFL, rankings are not mock drafts. It's tough to imagine the Bills taking a guy who ideally works out of the slot when they just signed Khalil Shakir to an extension and have real needs at corner and EDGE.

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Brian Letscher
BRIAN LETSCHER

A Michigan native, Brian graduated from the University of Michigan in another century, where he earned a degree in economics and a Rose Bowl Championship ring while playing football for the Wolverines under Head Coach Gary Moeller. Brian went on to coach Division 1A football for several years before becoming a full-time writer and actor while maintaining an unhealthy interest in sports. He is currently developing a scripted television series, THOSE WHO STAY, based on a series of historical fiction articles he wrote about Bo Schembechler's Michigan football program as they struggle to unite and win the championship - which requires beating #1 Ohio State - during the tumultuous civil rights and anti-war movements of 1969.

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