Scouting the Steelers’ first top-30 visit of 2025.

Approaching the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on anywhere from Rounds 1 through 7. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital and their fit with the Steelers.

The Steelers are starting to put together their top-30 visits for the 2025 draft cycle, and Iowa State’s Jaylin Noel was the first name reported. What could he bring to the Steelers?

The basics on Jaylin Noel

• Position: Wide receiver
• Class: Senior
• Size: 5’10, 194 pounds
• Age: 22
• Projected draft round: 2

Offensive stats via Sports Reference

Jaylin Noel scouting report

Jayden Higgins has been a popular draft crush in 2025, and for good reason, but his teammate Jaylin Noel is another Cyclone wide receiver worth getting excited about.

Noel ran a blistering 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, but that shouldn’t have been surprising to anyone who has watched him play. While scouting Noel, there were countless plays where he was moving at a different speed compared to everyone else on the field (No. 13 in all clips — bottom of the trips formation here).

Noel also tied for first among wide receivers with a 41.5-inch vertical, also coming in first in broad jump (11’2) and bench press (23 reps). He’s a little undersized at 5’10, 194 pounds, but unquestionably an NFL athlete.

It’s a joy to watch Noel run downfield routes. He has effortless acceleration and a great feel for how to dart by defenders in an instant (middle of the trips formation here).

(Slot receiver on the bottom of the screen here):

He isn’t the shiftiest wideout in his draft class, he showed the ability to successfully weave through traffic as Iowa State’s starting return man:

He also was able to make something out of nothing on this failed trick play where Noel lined up at running back:

Noel’s deep threat ability is nothing short of elite, but on shorter routes his technique is inconsistent, and he’s still finding the right feel for the soft spots in zone. Sometimes, he displays the ability to start and stop on a dime:

But other times, you’d just like to see a little more (top of the screen):

One aspect that does stand out across Noel’s routes though is his release. He can be lightning fast off the line (slot on the bottom of the screen):

Still, with his size there are reasonable worries about how well he’ll hold up against press coverage. Noel was primarily a motion/slot weapon at Iowa State and I’d expect that to continue in the NFL. He’s at his best with a free release where he can manipulate zone defenders with his speed.

But there is reason to believe that Noel could succeed on the outside. He’s a much better contested catcher than I thought he’d be, with the ability to make some acrobatic grabs.

He’s tough going over the middle, too. He has good hands and a compact frame (slot on the bottom of the screen here).

Similarly, he’s a plus blocker with a lot of effort, although he can still get pushed around by larger defenders (bottom of the screen):

Overall, the size worries are noticeable with Noel, but his toughness improves his projection. Before the Combine, he was a third-round target, but after his impressive workout I’d bet he goes in the bottom of the second. He’s not the safest pick in the draft at wide receiver, but the floor is higher than you’d think while the speed comes with a lot of upside.

Jaylin Noel Strengths

• Excellent speed, acceleration, deep route running
• Plays bigger, tougher than size; solid hands-catcher
• Returner experience

Weaknesses

• Undersized
• Would like to see a bit more shiftiness as a ball-carrier
• Inconsistent route runner on short and intermediate routes (but there’s a lot of potential)

What others are saying about Jaylin Noel

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com

Noel’s blend of receiving and return talent could carry more sway with teams given the league’s new kickoff rules in 2024. He’s primarily a slot receiver but has enough size and speed to kick outside in a pinch. His routes can be a little unfocused but that’s correctable with coaching. What can’t be coached is his consistent play speed. He can accelerate and separate from turns and stems and tends to uncover on cross-country routes. The catch focus can be inconsistent, but he is willing to mix it up in the middle of the field and is a natural after the ball is in his hands. Noel’s upside and punt/kick return value could make him a Day 2 pick with the potential to develop into a starter.

Daniel Harms of The Draft Network

Noel is a quick Swiss army knife receiver who offers immediate impact as a special teams player on an NFL roster with legit WR2 upside to his game. Cleaning up some of his concentration drops and adding some “make-you-miss” sauce to his game could see this guy explode at the next level. … Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Winning Starter

Andrew Harbaugh of Bucs Wire

He does a great job of utilizing his size and strength in both the run and pass game. Watching him block is comical at times, especially with smaller defensive backs. He makes contested catches time and time again while also showcasing strong hands to keep possession through contact. A lot of teams can utilize his skill set in making contested catches, but he may surprise people with strong testing numbers and see his stock rise through the process. Jaylin Noel is certainly a name to watch, and I came away as a fan of his film. … Projected Role: Year 1 Starter

Jaylin Noel’s fit with the Steelers

Noel is a fun player with dangerous NFL speed. While there are still some nuances to improve in his game, he has the talent and toughness to contribute early. It’s easy to see why the Steelers are interested: the team lacked wide receiver talent and big play potential outside of George Pickens in 2024, and Noel would immediately boost that room as a WR3 with WR2 upside.

The question, as I’m sure most have already noticed, is that there are a lot of similarities between Noel and current Steelers wide receivers Roman Wilson and Calvin Austin III. While I think Noel has a bit more upside, drafting him could be somewhat redundant, and the Steelers would still need a proven boundary talent opposite Pickens. That being said, neither Wilson or Austin have proven to be building block pieces moving forward, justifying a struggling offense like Pittsburgh exploring all the options at wide receiver. Noel has elite in-game speed and I could see the Steelers showing interest if he makes it to the third round.

TL;DR: Noel is a blazing fast deep threat who excelled in a slot/motion role at Iowa State. His size might limit his ceiling in the NFL, but Noel plays tough and has the quickness to develop into a lethal route-runner.

What are your thoughts on Iowa State wide receiver Jaylin Noel? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!