HOU Houston Texans · WR· #13 · also punt returner, kick returner

Jaylin Noel

Age
24
Height
5'11"
Weight
200 lbs
College
Iowa State
Drafted
2025, No. 79 overall (HOU)
Experience
2nd NFL season

51

Overall grade

41st of 94 wide receivers

Typical

about average; 50 is average

Grades updated Rechecked every few hours on game days

The read

Jaylin grades about average among wide receivers so far, with no number far from the middle.

Lately he is playing better. Catches over expected is +36.5 pts over the last 2 games (7 targets), against −14.6 pts before that. The change points one way, but a few plays could still explain it.

Role is growing: When he plays he is on the field for about 6 of every 10 plays lately, up from about 4 of every 10 plays before.

Written from his numbers, not from film. 5 games are behind the season figures.

How he stacks up

Every graded stat at a glance, against all the wide receivers in the league.

  • Drop rate0.0%1st of 85small sample
  • EPA per target+0.7313th of 94small sample
  • Catches over expected+7.7 pts24th of 94small sample
  • Yards after catch over expected−0.7 yds36th of 83small sample
  • Share of the team's passes8%90th of 94

Left is the worst at his job, right is the best, and the line down the middle is average. The bubble is his percentile: 90 means better than nine in ten qualifying wide receivers. Faded bars are still small samples.

How he has progressed

Where he has ranked among wide receivers after each week, and every game behind it.

WorstMiddleBestrecent12345Week 3: 64th percentileWeek 4: 87th percentileWeek 5: 87th percentile87th

Season rank climbed: 64th to 87th percentile since Wk 3.

The line is his season-to-date rank among players at his position after each week, from 100 (the best) to 0 (the worst). It rises when he passes other players, not when he has one big game. Early weeks are noisier because fewer plays are behind them. The shaded weeks are the recent stretch.

EPA per target game by game
WeekOpponentThat gametargetsSeason rank after
1vs BUF+1.992–
2vs CIN−0.035–
3vs IND+0.16264th pct
4vs DAL+1.56387th pct
5vs TEN+0.72487th pct

One game is a small sample: a single stat over 3 targets can swing on a handful of plays. Shaded rows are the recent stretch.

The numbers, in context

Each one against every wide receiver with at least 12 targets. Right on the strip is better.

EPA per target

Well above typical

+0.73

13th of 94 wide receivers · top 14%

Expected points added: how many points the play added to (or took from) the offense's scoring chances, given the down, the distance and the field position. Every target counts, caught or not, so a receiver cannot hide behind a catch total.

The box score: Receiving yards rise with targets, not with what the targets were worth.

Does it show up in winning? Across 208 games league-wide, teams won 64% of the time when their wide receiver was in the best third on EPA per target, and 36% when he was in the worst third.

Last 2 games: +1.08 (7) vs +0.46 before+10.6grade points upLeaning that way

Small sample: could move a lot · 16 targets · true level likely +0.09 to +1.37

Catches over expected

Well above typical

+7.7 pts

24th of 94 wide receivers · top 26%

His catch rate compared with what each target's difficulty predicted. +4 means he catches 4 more of every 100 targets than the throws suggested.

The box score: Catch rate rewards the receiver who is only thrown easy passes.

Does it show up in winning? Across 207 games league-wide, teams won 62% of the time when their wide receiver was in the best third on catches over expected, and 39% when he was in the worst third.

Last 2 games: +36.5 pts (7) vs −14.6 pts before+37.7grade points upA clear change

Small sample: could move a lot · 16 targets · true level likely −10.4 pts to +25.8 pts

Yards after catch over expected

Typical

−0.7 yds

36th of 83 wide receivers · top 44%

The yards he gains after the catch compared with what a typical receiver gets from that spot. It separates the player who makes defenders miss from the one who is simply open.

The box score: Yards after the catch is a total, not a comparison with where he caught it.

Does it show up in winning? Across 176 games league-wide, a good or bad game on yards after catch over expected from a wide receiver has not lined up much with his team winning (49% wins in the best third, 58% in the worst).

Last 2 games: −1.1 yds (6) vs −0.2 yds before−5.9grade points downWithin the noise

Small sample: could move a lot · 11 catches · true level likely −3.6 yds to +2.3 yds

Drop rate

Elite

0.0%lower is better

1st of 85 wide receivers · top 2%

Passes charted as drops, per target. Fewer is better. Almost everyone has few, so it is shown but not counted in his overall grade.

The box score: Drops are not an official stat.

Does it show up in winning? Across 174 games league-wide, a good or bad game on drop rate from a wide receiver has not lined up much with his team winning (50% wins in the best third, 48% in the worst).

Last 2 games: 0.0% (3) vs 0.0% before

Small sample: could move a lot · 12 targets · true level likely -12.2% to 12.2%

Share of the team's passes

Among the weakest

8%

90th of 94 wide receivers · bottom 6%

The portion of his team's pass attempts that were thrown to him, in the games he was targeted. It shows whether he is the focus of the offense.

The box score: Targets and receptions do not say how big the offense's passing game was.

Does it show up in winning? Across 425 games league-wide, a good or bad game on share of the team's passes from a wide receiver has not lined up much with his team winning (56% wins in the best third, 54% in the worst).

Last 2 games: 11% (7) vs 7% before+5.5grade points upLeaning that way

Solid sample · 16 targets · true level likely 5% to 12%

How he plays

Tendencies: how his game differs from the wide receivers around him. These are not better or worse, only different, and often say as much about the offense or defense he plays in as about him.

Average depth of target

Style

10.4 yds

Right around the middle of wide receivers: a typical one is 11.7 yds.

How far downfield his targets are, on average. It is a role, not a grade.

Small sample: could move a lot · 16 targets

Deep targets

Style

19%

Right around the middle of wide receivers: a typical one is 19%.

The share of his targets that are 20 or more yards downfield.

Small sample: could move a lot · 16 targets

Contested targets

Style

25%

Gets targeted in tight coverage, more than most wide receivers. A typical one is 18%.

The share of his targets charted as contested: a defender is on him at the catch point. It says how he is used, not whether he wins.

Small sample: could move a lot · 12 targets

Screen targets

Style

0%

Is rarely a screen target, and more so than almost any of the wide receivers. A typical one is 5%.

The share of his targets that are screen passes, a sign his yards come from the offense's design.

Small sample: could move a lot · 12 targets

Playing time

He has played in 4 of his team's 4 games with snap counts, on the field for about 45% of the team's offensive plays when he plays.

Role is growing. When he plays he is on the field for about 6 of every 10 plays lately, up from about 4 of every 10 plays before.

Each column is a game: the share of his team's offensive snaps he played. 80% means about 8 of every 10 plays. “Out” means he did not play; a question mark means snap counts are not posted yet. Shaded games are the recent stretch.

Game by game

Every game this season: how it ended for his team, how much he played, his box score, and the advanced numbers from that one game. One game is a small sample, so read the right-hand columns as a snapshot, not his level.

Jaylin Noel game by game
GameResultSnapsTgtRecYdsTDEPA/targetCROEYAC over exp.Target share
Wk 1 vs BUFL 31–3630%22530+1.99+35.1 pts+9.0 yds5%
Wk 2 vs CINL 6–2060%51310−0.03−52.1 pts−12.2 yds9%
Wk 3 vs INDL 17–1926%22170+0.16+29.2 pts−3.3 yds7%
Wk 4 vs DALL 30–3462%33850+1.56+46.3 pts−2.0 yds10%
Wk 5 vs TENW 26–3–44331+0.72+29.1 pts−0.1 yds11%

The box score

The traditional totals, with where each ranks among wide receivers. A total rewards volume, which is why the advanced numbers above matter.

Jaylin Noel box score totals
StatTotalRank
Targets1677th of 94
Receptions1263rd of 94
Receiving yards21937th of 94
Receiving touchdowns131st of 94

Players with a similar profile

The wide receivers whose grades are closest to his across the same stats. Similar means similar numbers, not the same style of play.

As a punt returner

Points added each time he fields a punt.

The read

Jaylin grades about average among punt returners so far, with no number far from the middle.

Written from his numbers, not from film. 5 games are behind the season figures.

How he stacks up

Every graded stat at a glance, against all the punt returners in the league.

  • EPA per punt fielded−0.0123rd of 34small sample
  • Yards per return7.9 yds19th of 24small sample

Left is the worst at his job, right is the best, and the line down the middle is average. The bubble is his percentile: 90 means better than nine in ten qualifying punt returners. Faded bars are still small samples.

How he has progressed

Where he has ranked among punt returners after each week, and every game behind it.

WorstMiddleBestrecent12345Week 2: 71st percentileWeek 3: 44th percentileWeek 4: 28th percentileWeek 5: 33rd percentile33rd

Season rank slipped: 71st to 33rd percentile since Wk 2.

The line is his season-to-date rank among players at his position after each week, from 100 (the best) to 0 (the worst). It rises when he passes other players, not when he has one big game. Early weeks are noisier because fewer plays are behind them. The shaded weeks are the recent stretch.

EPA per punt fielded game by game
WeekOpponentThat gamepuntsSeason rank after
1vs BUF+0.111–
2vs CIN+0.15571st pct
3vs IND−0.44144th pct
4vs DAL−0.45228th pct
5vs TEN+0.14333rd pct

One game is a small sample: a single stat over 2 punts can swing on a handful of plays. Shaded rows are the recent stretch.

The numbers, in context

Each one against every punt returner with at least 5 punts fielded. Right on the strip is better.

EPA per punt fielded

Below typical

−0.01

23rd of 34 punt returners · bottom 36%

Expected points added: how many points the play added to (or took from) the offense's scoring chances, given the down, the distance and the field position. From his team's side, for every punt he fields, fair catches included.

The box score: Return average ignores fair catches and the starting field position.

Does it show up in winning? Across 54 games league-wide, a good or bad game on EPA per punt fielded from a punt returner has not lined up much with his team winning (61% wins in the best third, 53% in the worst).

Last 2 games: −0.10 (5) vs +0.06 before−1.6grade points downWithin the noise

Small sample: could move a lot · 12 punts · true level likely −0.39 to +0.37

Yards per return

Well below typical

7.9 yds

19th of 24 punt returners · bottom 25%

Average yards when he returns the punt (fair catches excluded).

The box score: This is the box score number.

Last 2 games: 7.3 yds (4) vs 8.7 yds before−2.3grade points downWithin the noise

Small sample: could move a lot · 7 returns · true level likely 2.9 yds to 12.8 yds

How he plays

Tendencies: how his game differs from the punt returners around him. These are not better or worse, only different, and often say as much about the offense or defense he plays in as about him.

Fair catch rate

Style

42%

Right around the middle of punt returners: a typical one is 41%.

How often he fair catches instead of returning, a choice about risk.

Small sample: could move a lot · 12 punts

Game by game

Every game this season: how it ended for his team, how much he played, his box score, and the advanced numbers from that one game. One game is a small sample, so read the right-hand columns as a snapshot, not his level.

Jaylin Noel game by game
GameResultFieldedYdsEPA/puntYds/return
Wk 1 vs BUFL 31–3610+0.11–
Wk 2 vs CINL 6–20515+0.157.5 yds
Wk 3 vs INDL 17–19111−0.4411.0 yds
Wk 4 vs DALL 30–3428−0.454.0 yds
Wk 5 vs TENW 26–3321+0.1410.5 yds

The box score

The traditional totals, with where each ranks among punt returners. A total rewards volume, which is why the advanced numbers above matter.

Jaylin Noel box score totals
StatTotalRank
Punts fielded127th of 34
Return yards5519th of 34

Players with a similar profile

The punt returners whose grades are closest to his across the same stats. Similar means similar numbers, not the same style of play.

As a kick returner

Points added and yards gained on kickoff returns.

The read

Jaylin grades above average among kick returners so far, with no number far from the middle.

Lately he is playing better. EPA per return is +0.87 over the last 2 games (3 returns), against +0.16 before that. The change points one way, but a few plays could still explain it.

Written from his numbers, not from film. 5 games are behind the season figures.

How he stacks up

Every graded stat at a glance, against all the kick returners in the league.

  • EPA per return+0.4311th of 53small sample
  • Yards per return28.4 yds13th of 53small sample

Left is the worst at his job, right is the best, and the line down the middle is average. The bubble is his percentile: 90 means better than nine in ten qualifying kick returners. Faded bars are still small samples.

How he has progressed

Where he has ranked among kick returners after each week, and every game behind it.

WorstMiddleBestrecent12345Week 2: 27th percentileWeek 3: 27th percentileWeek 4: 81st percentileWeek 5: 81st percentile81st

Season rank climbed: 27th to 81st percentile since Wk 2.

The line is his season-to-date rank among players at his position after each week, from 100 (the best) to 0 (the worst). It rises when he passes other players, not when he has one big game. Early weeks are noisier because fewer plays are behind them. The shaded weeks are the recent stretch.

EPA per return game by game
WeekOpponentThat gamereturnsSeason rank after
1vs BUF−0.102–
2vs CIN+0.70127th pct
3vs IND+0.16227th pct
4vs DAL+1.13281st pct
5vs TEN+0.33181st pct

One game is a small sample: a single stat over 2 returns can swing on a handful of plays. Shaded rows are the recent stretch.

The numbers, in context

Each one against every kick returner with at least 5 returns. Right on the strip is better.

EPA per return

Well above typical

+0.43

11th of 53 kick returners · top 21%

Expected points added: how many points the play added to (or took from) the offense's scoring chances, given the down, the distance and the field position. From his team's side, for each kickoff he returns.

The box score: Return average ignores the starting field position the team would have had anyway.

Does it show up in winning? Across 82 games league-wide, teams won 54% of the time when their kick returner was in the best third on EPA per return, and 30% when he was in the worst third.

Last 2 games: +0.87 (3) vs +0.16 before+18.1grade points upLeaning that way

Small sample: could move a lot · 8 returns · true level likely −0.04 to +0.89

Yards per return

Well above typical

28.4 yds

13th of 53 kick returners · top 25%

Average yards per kickoff return.

The box score: This is the box score number.

Does it show up in winning? Across 82 games league-wide, teams won 63% of the time when their kick returner was in the best third on yards per return, and 30% when he was in the worst third.

Last 2 games: 31.0 yds (3) vs 26.8 yds before+13.8grade points upWithin the noise

Small sample: could move a lot · 8 returns · true level likely 23.1 yds to 33.6 yds

Game by game

Every game this season: how it ended for his team, how much he played, his box score, and the advanced numbers from that one game. One game is a small sample, so read the right-hand columns as a snapshot, not his level.

Jaylin Noel game by game
GameResultRetYdsEPA/returnYds/return
Wk 1 vs BUFL 31–36249−0.1024.5 yds
Wk 2 vs CINL 6–20131+0.7031.0 yds
Wk 3 vs INDL 17–19254+0.1627.0 yds
Wk 4 vs DALL 30–34271+1.1335.5 yds
Wk 5 vs TENW 26–3122+0.3322.0 yds

The box score

The traditional totals, with where each ranks among kick returners. A total rewards volume, which is why the advanced numbers above matter.

Jaylin Noel box score totals
StatTotalRank
Returns827th of 53
Return yards22727th of 53

Players with a similar profile

The kick returners whose grades are closest to his across the same stats. Similar means similar numbers, not the same style of play.

Ranks are among players at the same job who have enough plays to be graded. Grades and rankings come from play-by-play, charting and snap-count data, so they cannot see blocking, route running or assignments. See how the grades work.

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Data: nflverse play-by-play, CC BY 4.0. Also FTN charting, Pro Football Reference advanced stats, snap counts and injury reports, all through nflverse. Calculations and charts by Raiders Rundown.