The 2025 Senior Bowl officially kicked off on Tuesday morning with the first of two daily practice sessions. With an abundance of media and NFL personnel in attendance, the ever-popular practices offer prospects an opportunity to enhance their pre-draft stock ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. One player who took advantage on Tuesday was Iowa State wide receiver Jaylin Noel.
Noel arrived in Mobile with some evaluators seeing a slot-only prospect. The Cyclones standout put those perceived limitations to sleep on Tuesday. Noel displayed excellent versatility as a pass-catcher capable of lining up and winning on the boundary.
One rep in particular caught the eyes of evaluators. Aligned as an outside receiver, Noel showcased the ability to defeat press-man coverage from Louisville cornerback Quincy Riley on the boundary. Noel then made an outstanding in-air adjustment to come down with the football.
Jaylin Noel with the phenomenal adjustment to the ball against Quincy Riley! #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/VMrk3bHQlM
— Travis May (@FF_TravisM) January 28, 2025
"I feel like I’m an all-around receiver," Noel exclusively told The Draft Network in January. "I can play outside and beat press coverage. I can attack a cornerback’s leverage. I have great hands and I’m great at the catch point."
Noel backed up those proclamations by looking comfortable outside. While there's little doubt that he could thrive as a slot receiver in 11 personnel, displaying the versatility to play boundary pass-catcher would create additional playbook possibilities for Noel at the next level. Exiting Mobile with proof that he's a three-down wideout would undeniably increase his pre-draft stock.
Noel is flat-out explosive with the ball in his hands, but playing larger than his 5-foot-11 frame would ensure NFL evaluators don't pigeonhole him throughout the pre-draft process.
On tape, Noel is a short-area winner with quick-twitch abilities. He can run the complete route tree and is an easy zone coverage beater, displaying an understanding of how to exploit holes in NFL defenses. Noel came to Mobile to prove his ability to play outside versus bigger-bodied cornerbacks while handling physical contact throughout his routes.
There were reps at Iowa State when Noel struggled to shed contact at the line of scrimmage when presented with physical press-man coverage. There were also a few occasions when he was a net-positive as a run blocker. Those limitations were less evident throughout Tuesday's practice. Noel refused to allow his route timing to be disrupted outside, showing growth from the end of the campaign to now.
Noel enjoyed a career-best season in 2024. The Kansas City, Missouri native recorded 80 receptions for 1,194 receiving yards, surpassing 1,000 yards for the first time. Noel also added eight receiving touchdowns to his offensive totals, trailing fellow Senior Bowl teammate Jayden Higgins by one score (nine) for the team lead.
Noel is dynamic and explosive. An improved ability to shed jam contact at the line of scrimmage to beat physical press-man coverage will have NFL teams viewing him as a more versatile prospect. That's exactly what Noel displayed during his first Senior Bowl practice. If this continues throughout his remaining time in Mobile, he'll establish himself as a day-two playmaker.
