Jaylin Noel, Houston Texans, Round Three, Pick 79
The Houston Texans drafted wide receiver Jaylin Noel Friday night with the 79th pick of the third round.
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Fantasy Football Impact for Jaylin Noel, Houston Texans
The Houston Texans knew they had to rebuild their wide receiver room through the NFL draft. Tank Dell is recovering from a brutal knee injury sustained in the 2024 season, where he dislocated his knee and tore his ACL, MCL, and LCL. He could miss the entire 2025 season. Then the Texans traded away wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the New England Patriots earlier this year, leaving the cupboard close to bare. They added Christian Kirk in free agency to join star Nico Collins, but draft analysts thought they would be looking to add some firepower in this year's draft.
After drafting one Iowa State wide receiver in the second round (Jayden Higgins), the Texans went all in on the Cyclones, grabbing Noel with pick 79. With a now crowded wide receiver room, Noel's journey to dynasty fantasy football relevance becomes slightly more complicated. His college teammate Higgins has higher draft capital, and Noel will also have to battle with veteran Kirk to earn playing time. Nico Collins remains the clear WR1 in Houston - he slides in as the WR7 in the current Footballguys consensus rankings - so Noel will have to battle. John Metchie III and Xavier Hutchinson remain to muddy the waters further, although I expect little from them when it comes to fighting for targets.
The speedy Noel should line up in the slot, sharing time with Kirk, so unless Kirk shows a reason why he should not be on the field, it will be difficult for Noel to make an immediate impact. That being said, Kirk is returning from an injury, missing the last eight games of the 2024 season. If he struggles to return, Noel could be the beneficiary. I was a big fan of Noel during the draft process. I love his speed (he clocked 4.39 at the NFL Combine) and his strong route-running ability. Noel is the type of player you take a shot on at the end of your rookie drafts, hoping his special-teams experience will help get him on the field this season, where he can make a potential splash play. I actually liked Noel more than Higgins heading into the draft, with Noel's upside being much higher in my opinion. That upside is what I'm shooting for at the end of my dynasty drafts.
From a redraft perspective, however, I see very little chance for Noel to move into fantasy relevance this season. He will live in the WR3/WR4 range, assuming no injuries to the players around him. I will keep an eye on him to see if his snap share increases as the year progresses, but I'm not targeting him in redraft. I neither love nor hate the landing spot for Noel. I would have preferred a place where he had one less receiver to battle for targets, but I love that he is paired with a young quarterback in Stroud who loves to throw. Stroud is the biggest riser with the addition of Noel. Nico Collins holds strong as the WR1 in Houston and should be impacted very slightly by this draft pick.
The Fantasy Football Fallout
The Texans were smart to reload their wide receiver core after the Dell injury and Diggs' departure. Team-wise, they want to ensure C.J. Stroud has the weapons around him to potentially help him bounce back from a disappointing 2024 season. However, the addition of Noel suggests we may have seen the end of Tank Dell in a Texans uniform, since Noel's speed and ability to stretch the field make him seem like a larger and stronger...Tank Dell. It also drops the fantasy stock of Christian Kirk slightly, currently WR52 in Footballguys consensus rankings. Finally, it dims almost any remaining value for Hutchinson and Metchie.
Stock Watch
Risers
Fallers
Overview
The Houston Texans drafted their second receiver of the 2025 draft with Jaylin Noel, who joins a large group of pass-catchers in Houston. The primarily young wide receiver room now consists of Nico Collins, rookie Jayden Higgins, and an injured Tank Dell, along with veteran Christian Kirk, all fighting for targets. With all the competition, Noel will have to battle to see the field in 2025, making him, at best, Houston's WR3 with upside.
For more information on the 2025 NFL Draft, check out the Footballguys Rookie Draft Guide, where you can read more about Jaylin Noel, the Houston Texans, and other rookie team fits. The post-Draft edition will be released on April 30.
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