After left tackle, wide receiver might be the New England Patriots' biggest need entering the 2025 NFL Draft. And if the Patriots use the No. 4 overall pick on a tackle -- LSU's Will Campbell, perhaps? -- they could miss out on top wide receiver prospects like Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan and Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka, who both project as first-round picks.
But can New England find a gem at wideout on Day 2?
Former Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer recently joined our Patriots Insiders Phil Perry and Tom E. Curran to break down film of the top receiver prospects in the 2025 draft class and identify the best fits for new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who worked with Hoyer for several years in both New England (2017-2018; 2020-2021) and Las Vegas (2023).
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SIGN UP HERE One player who stood out immediately to Hoyer on film? Iowa State wide receiver Jaylin Noel.
"When I first turned this guy on to watch, I said, 'This is a faster Amon-Ra St. Brown,'" Hoyer said of Noel. "He's not the biggest guy, but he's explosive, he's fast, he's physical."
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Noel is a bit undersized at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds and primarily operated in the slot for the Cyclones. But the 22-year-old has serious big-play potential -- he averaged a career-high 14.9 yards per catch in 2024, hauling in 80 receptions for 1,194 yards and eight touchdowns -- and serious speed (a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine).
"We talk a lot in the Patriots system about that slot position," Hoyer said. "There's been a lot of different guys who have done it a lot of different ways, whether it was Wes Welker, whether it was Julian (Edelman), whether it was Jakobi Meyers.
"This guy brings an element of vertical threat down the field that maybe some of those guys didn't."
The comparison to St. Brown is a lofty one; the Detroit Lions wideout is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro whose 2,778 receiving yards over the last two seasons are third-most in the NFL behind only CeeDee Lamb and Ja'Marr Chase. But St. Brown wasn't a first-round pick either (fourth round in 2021), and Noel appears to have the skill set to be a similarly dynamic weapon in an NFL offense.
"You see what he can do with the ball in his hands," Hoyer said of Noel. "I really believe that after Egbuka, this would be a guy that (the Patriots) would love to get."
Noel currently projects as a Day 2 pick, so he could be an enticing option for New England with either the No. 38 (second round), No. 69 (third round) or No. 77 pick (third round) on draft weekend.
Check out the video below to watch Hoyer break down film of Colorado's Travis Hunter, McMillan, Egbuka, Noel, Iowa State's Jayden Higgins, Washington State's Kyle Williams and TCU's Jack Bech.