Jaylin Noel NFL Draft Scouting Report & Fantasy Football Profile

Jaylin Noel enters the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the more intriguing slot receiver prospects, showcasing consistent year-over-year production, elite speed, and dynamic open-field ability. While his route running still needs refinement, Noel’s explosiveness and versatility make him a potential game-changer in the right offensive scheme.

Jaylin Noel Fantasy Football Outlook

The Iowa State Cyclones upped Noel's role and opportunity each year. His freshman season started with 39 catches for 269 yards and no scores, followed by success in 2022 (6/619/3), 2023 (66/819/7), and 2024 (80/1,232/8). Along with his growth in stats, he improved his yards per catch (6.9, 9.5, 12.4, and 14.9) every year.

He ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine while showing strength in his slot receiver profile (5’10” and 195 lbs.). His open-field value is highlighted by his value returning kicks in college (punts – 53/466 and kickoffs – 37/821). Noel earns his keep with short-area quickness, but his route running isn’t NFL-ready. Iowa State featured him in the middle of the field, where his long speed created advantages that led to some easy catches.

Top 10 WR Athleticism Scores | 2025 Draft

Using our size-adjusted athleticism model, here are the top WR athletes in this class.

Key inputs: 10-Split, Shuttle, Vertical

Tez Johnson and Jaylin Noel really stand out here - two of our Day 2 favorites. pic.twitter.com/lwHiQh8rij
— Gridiron Grading (@GridironGrading) April 9, 2025

An NFL team should be able to get Noel in winning situations on slants and crossing patterns. He’ll lull a defense to sleep that thinks of him as a zone-buster, only to turn on the jets to daylight behind their linebacking corps. I view Noel in the caliber of Tyler Lockett, but his ceiling may be WR3 at the next level.

Any investment in Noel starts with team style and offensive wide receivers structure before adding him. He would be an intriguing option for the Bengals, who have two elite wideouts (Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins). His presence would steal some targets away from their tight ends. Pittsburgh has a similar structure at wide receiver (DK Metcalf and George Pickens), creating interest there as well.