The Las Vegas Raiders need wide receiver help, and they may find it in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Raiders’ current wide receiver room is not one of the better groups in the league, and it came as a surprise that they did not address it during free agency.
However, it could have been the new regime’s plan all along to find more long-term options through the draft. Once Tee Higgins was off the board, the free-agent crop of receivers became less than desirable.
The Raiders have been linked to several receivers in this year’s draft, which features a deep class. Las Vegas could take a receiver at No. 6 overall or wait until the mid-rounds.
That includes Iowa State star Jaylin Noel, who said he met with the Raiders at the NFL Scouting Combine. Noel could add a new element to Pete Carroll’s offense.
In four years with the Cyclones, Noel caught 245 passes for 2,855 yards and 18 touchdowns. His best season came last year when he posted over 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns.
Noel and teammate Jayden Higgins formed one of college football’s top wide receiver duos as Iowa State made the Big 12 Championship Game. Noel caught five passes for 64 yards and a touchdown in that game.
Noel stands at 5-foot-10 and weighs 194 pounds, making him a likely slot receiver at the next level. He posted excellent numbers at the Combine, including a 4.39 40-yard dash.
While the Raiders have Tre Tucker currently in the slot, Noel could be an upgrade. He has the speed to separate from defenders and can make plays with the ball in his hands.
However, he is a bit smaller, meaning he could struggle against bigger slot defenders if he cannot separate from them. That could cause the Raiders to stay away from him in the draft.
The Raiders could add Noel in the second or third round and add some speed and explosiveness to a room that needs it. He could fill in nicely as a third option behind tight end Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers.
The NFL Draft is less than a month away, and we will continue to learn more about the Raiders’ draft plans before then.
