This Day 2 draft prospect could be the next great offensive piece of Chiefs' puzzle

The NFL Combine can help and hurt the draft stock of players based on their performance. Few players raised their stock in 2025 more than Iowa State's Jaylin Noel. That, paired with consistent growth year over year and high-level productivity, has quickly made Noel into one of the top names in the receiving class this year.

Once the Chiefs chose to move on from Tyreek Hill, they've consistently looked for cheap wide receiver play. They've drafted one each year with one of their first- or second-round picks. Considering one of those players (Skyy Moore) has been a total miss, don't be surprised if the Chiefs go back to well at receiver again. With Travis Kelce likely finishing his final NFL season in 2025, there's plenty of room for more pass-catching talent in the Chiefs' offense.

NFL Draft Profile: Jaylin Noel, wide receiver, Iowa State

Age: 22 (when drafted)

Height: 5-10

Weight: 194 LBS

Shades of: Christian Kirk

Background

As a Kansas City native, Noel graduated from Park Hill High School as a three-star recruit. He lettered in football and track, posting an 11.07 100m dash as a sprinter. For football, he had several offers, including Nebraska and Wisconsin, before ultimately selecting Iowa State. Noel began as a role player his freshman year and as the team's punt returner.

Noel stacked season after season of increased production and growth. Noel finished with 245 receptions (second in school history), 2,855 receiving yards (fourth all-time), and 18 touchdowns in his college career. He was also named the Big 12 special teams player of the year in 2024. In 2024, he was also voted a team captain.

Why he Fits the Chiefs

Separation - Noel is consistently able to separate from man coverage by winning with speed and precise route running. He's showcased the ability to run a well-developed route tree, including gos, fades, outs, hitches, crosses, and posts. His straight-line speed is above average, and his ability to maintain speed through breaks makes him seem faster in game.

Versatility - Noel has run about 70% of his routes out of the slot for Iowa State but has been used on the outside as well. Additionally, he is frequently utilized as the motion man, coming off sweeps to create free releases. Iowa State has leveraged him in the backfield, even as a running back getting designed carries. He's an impact special teams returner and was named Big 12 special teams player of the year as well. Noel can fit into many roles in an offense, especially ones that will be creative with him.

Catch Radius - Despite being smaller, Noel's able to win at the catch point at a surprising level. Most of this is due to above-average body control and strong tracking ability. Noel can find the ball well in the air and reads it naturally. His ability to outleap defenders is impressive and showcased throughout his game film.

Concerns

Drops - Noel had 19 drops logged over his career at Iowa State. Often, these drops come with him keeping his eyes downfield, running with the ball before he secures the catch.

Not overly explosive after the catch - Noel has a strong ability to separate and win as a route runner, but he doesn't shed tackles often. He's usually brought down on initial contact and would ideally not be a player to funnel a screen game through.

Slot usage - If Noel is limited to playing a slot-only role at the next level, it certainly caps his ceiling as a prospect. While the league is full of highly effective slot players, this would limit his role in an offense. His smaller frame and release package made it easier for him to win against bigger, more physical corners in college, but that might not be the case at the next level.

Analysis

The Chiefs' offense has to continue to get more explosive and cheap. Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy are a great start to that, but there's no such thing as too many good receivers. Noel brings lots of similarities to what the Chiefs had in mind for Hollywood Brown as another speed option for the offense who can win in the intermediate parts of the field. He fits the profile of speed and separation the Chiefs usually like out of their receivers, and he's a local kid as well.