NFL Draft night is always filled with surprises. For Jaylin Noel, it was already a special moment when he heard his name called. But he never thought his selection would allow him to play alongside his former Iowa State teammate, Jayden Higgins, making the experience even more meaningful.
Their bond, built at Iowa State, now carries over to the NFL, giving Houston an edge, which head coach DeMeco Ryans acknowledged. However, reuniting with Higgins is a dream come true for Noel, as he recently described.
Jaylin Noel Opens Up About the Emotional Draft Night That Reunited Him With Jayden Higgins
Noel experienced a dream come true on NFL Draft night, but reuniting with his Iowa State teammate Higgins in Houston made it even more special. The Houston Texans selected Higgins as the 34th overall pick, and later in the third round, they secured Noel as the 79th pick, ensuring the duo would continue playing together at the professional level.
“It meant the world to me,” Noel said when asked about hearing his name called by the Texans. “Honestly, it’s obviously a dream come true for me and something that I’ve thought about and worked for my whole life. So for it to happen that way and especially to be drafted to the same team as my teammate, Jayden Higgins, it was just a real moment for sure.”
Looks like Jaylin Noel has a story to tell Patrick Mahomes when the Texans play the Chiefs in Week 14 😅@NFLPA | @Fanatics pic.twitter.com/jWunyW4i5R
— cllct (@cllctMedia) May 26, 2025
The reunion was unexpected but welcomed by both players. Higgins, who had been watching the draft unfold, felt Noel would join him in Houston. “Houston is going to get him,” Higgins thought before the Texans made their selection.
The Kansas City native also shared a personal moment about his first NFL jersey. “Probably, I’m from Kansas City, so I got a Patrick Mahomes jersey. It’s not too long ago, it was probably going into my junior year of high school. So yeah, that was the first jersey I owned.”
The Texans didn’t enter the draft to reunite the two receivers, but head coach DeMeco Ryans acknowledged the value of their chemistry. “It’s very comforting for those guys,” Ryan said. “Being able to be drafted to the same team. It’s a unique situation for them, but I think both guys will benefit a lot from it.”
However, the Instagram post also attached an image in the video with the caption, “Time for Jaylin Noel to retire his Patrick Mahomes jersey.” This likely means that now that Noel has been drafted into the NFL, especially by the Houston Texans, it’s time for him to fully embrace his new team rather than repping Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Both Noel and Mahomes are now part of the Texans’ offense. This connection could help quarterback C.J. Stroud create a stronger, more dynamic passing game.
Their experience playing together might be a significant advantage for Houston’s offense in the coming seasons.
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