Patriots Draft Profile: Jaylin Noel Represents Tough Choice
The New England Patriots likely won’t be drafting Drake Maye’s next top target. Mike Vrabel’s staff reportedly is focused on adding an impact veteran.
NBC Sports’ Matthew Berry reported as much Tuesday, sharing they’ve already reached out to see if Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown was available via trade. NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry also reported New England could be interested in a reunion with Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, while there has been mixed reporting regarding potential interest in superstar wideout Davante Adams.
Why not look to supplement a potential veteran addition with a high-ceiling rookie, though?
Jaylin Noel might not be the first guy who comes to mind when thinking of players who could upgrade the wide receiver room at One Patriot Place, but he is one of the best options who could be available.
OVERVIEW
Noel was one half of the two-headed monster that terrorized opposing defenses for Iowa State over the last two seasons, combining for 286 catches, 4,180 yards and 30 touchdowns over that stretch alongside Jayden Higgins.
Higgins garners the headlines for his size and athleticism, but there’s a reason their individual numbers come out so close. Noel is about as safe an option as you’ll find in this draft, and we say that fondly.
The Cyclones continuously piled more onto his plate as his career progressed, eventually turning him from a generic slot option to one of the best and most versatile wideouts in the entire country. It’s easy to see him continuing to get better, even with that dreaded jump to the NFL on the horizon.
NFL SCOUTING COMBINE
Noel rated out as one of the best pure athletes at the combine, making up for his subpar size by turning in a 9.58 Relative Athletic Score, per resident workout wizard Math Bomb.
Height: 5′ 10 1/4″
Weight: 194 lbs
Hand: 8 3/4″
Arm: 29 1/2″
40-Yard Dash: 4.39 seconds
Vertical Jump: 41 1/2″
Broad Jump: 11′ 2″
3-Cone Drill: 6.82 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.17 seconds
Bench Press: 23 reps
STRENGTHS
Noel provides something that seemingly no one else has in New England, which is precise route running and quick feet.
It’s not all that uncommon for him to send a defender to the ground without even touching them, and he has the quick-twitch you’re looking for in a slot receiver. Iowa State recognized that and expanded his role depending on the season, but one thing that remained consistent was his ability to serve as a security blanket for the quarterback. Brock Purdy and Rocco Becht routinely turned to him in got-to-have-it situations and were rewarded for it.
Noel’s ability after the catch is what you’d expect after looking at those explosion and short-area testing numbers, as he oftentimes would go entire plays without ever being touched.
WEAKNESSES
It’s almost like mad libs filling these things out when talking about slot receivers.
Noel is undersized, needs to add strength, could be better using his hands against press coverage and had problems with drops at different points.
We also must admit that it’s a tough year to be targeting wide receivers because you’re almost certainly going to either be reaching for someone or overlooking legitimate weaknesses. We think it’ll end up being the former for Noel’s future team.
HOW DOES HE DIFFER FROM DEMARIO DOUGLAS?
We don’t know if he does, which is obviously a problem.
The Patriots found themselves a really strong slot option in Douglas, and taking another player who will take reps away and disrupt the current ecosystem without providing anything new is a gamble. You just have to imagine they’d get something extra out of such a great athlete.
New England isn’t in a position to overlook talented players due to system fit, especially when taking one would allow you to reset the timeline. Noel probably isn’t a priority, and while that makes sense given needs and fits, it still hurts considering how solid of a player we believe he’ll be.
That’s just how the cookie crumbles when you stink.
If you’d like more individual profiles, check out our full series on NESN.com.