Iowa State wide receiver Jaylin Noel was among the biggest winners at the NFL Combine. Noel enters the 2025 NFL Draft with position-best outputs in the vertical (41.5 inches) and broad jump (11-foot-2) drills. The speedy playmaker also ran a blazing-fast 4.39-second 40-yard dash, solidifying himself as a premier athlete at a premium position.
Noel recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network. Noel discussed his breakout performance this past season, impressing scouts in Indianapolis, the intricacies of his favorite routes to run, and more. All indications are that he’s going to be an extremely high draft pick.
JM: I'd be remiss if I didn't start with the NFL Combine. You leaped position-bests in the vertical (41.5 inches) and broad (11-foot-2) jumps. You also ran a 4.39 40. You must have been satisfied with the performance.
Jaylin Noel: I was happy with my performance. I had put in eight weeks of work leading up to the NFL Combine during the training process. Seeing it pay off through the results was a fantastic feeling.
JM: Did scouts expect you to test that well, or do you think you surprised a few of them?
Jaylin Noel: I may have surprised a few of them. I feel like if they truly watched my film though, you saw the explosiveness and athleticism on film. My results may have surprised a few of them, but you shouldn’t have been surprised if you watched the film.
JM: Between that athletic showcase, what you did at the Senior Bowl, and on film all season long, do you feel like you've proven you can play “Z” and slot receiver throughout this process? You're not just a slot-only guy. That was a question coming in.
Jaylin Noel: Yeah, for sure. I wanted to place emphasis on my versatility. I feel like I put that on display, like you said, throughout the season, and definitely at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine. My athleticism has shown scouts I can play on the outside.
JM: You’ve proven that How do you approach a bigger, more physical corner in coverage differently than a smaller, shiftier one who can match your movements?
Jaylin Noel: Winning with your hands at the line of scrimmage is very important when going up against a bigger corner. Those bigger corners try to use their length to keep them attached to your hip.
Being able to use your hands to knock their hands down, and winning with quickness and explosiveness is important. You have to be quick-twitched at the line of scrimmage. You also have to stack them at the top of the route.
If they’re within your vicinity, that length and size could allow them an opportunity to make a play on the ball. You have to create separation and win with your hands at the line of scrimmage early.
JM: That’s a terrific breakdown. What was your favorite play to run in the playbook? Something you got excited about hearing in the huddle.
Jaylin Noel: I would say any deep post route I had a chance to run. I loved making a big play for my team in decisive moments. That’s what I live for, what I play the game for. I put that on tape all season long. I was excited about getting those opportunities.
JM: I’m going to assume the deep post is your favorite route to run then. Focusing more on the intricacies of it, what do you love about it?
Jaylin Noel: It’s an opportunity to run that route in so many different ways. It’s a very simple route in itself. Depending on the defensive back’s leverage, whether they have inside or outside leverage, if I’m being pressed in coverage, what technique they're trying to play, there’s just so many different ways I can run that deep post route.
I can manipulate a defensive back to make them think I’m running something else. I just love how many options come with running a deep post route. It’s a great showcase of my abilities.
JM: I love watching you run those deep post routes. Jayden Higgins and yourself were such a dynamic duo this past season. You were terrifying for opposing defenses. How did iron sharpen iron at practice?
Jaylin Noel: We held each other accountable. We let each other hear it if one of us dropped a ball at practice (laughs). We knew that was unacceptable. If one of us made a big play, we pushed the other guy to make the next big play.
It was all about accountability. We pushed each other by being competitive with one another. We always stayed curious within our game as well. We were always looking for ways to get better. We watched a lot of film off the field with each other. That helped a lot.
We continuously got better by holding each other accountable.
JM: Have you recently completed any team visits, or do you have anything like that coming up? It's that time of year.
Jaylin Noel: I’ve had plenty of virtual meetings on Zoom. I have a few in-person visits coming up early in the month of April that I’ll be attending. I am visiting with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, and Carolina Panthers.
JM: There’s a ton of interest in you and it’s easy to see why. We've appreciated your time today. When a team uses a very early draft pick on Jaylin Noel, what kind of impact is he going to make for them at the next level?
Jaylin Noel: I’m going to be a consistent guy who comes in every day with a positive mindset. I am eager to compete. I want to push the other receivers in the room with me. I'm going to continue enjoying the game of football.
I’m gonna bring a lot of energy to uplift the team.
