Who Should I Start? Nick Westbrook-Ikhine or Jaylin Noel

Wednesday, July 29, 11:55 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel (finger) is expected to return in a few weeks after injuring his finger, according to Aaron Wilson. Noel was placed on the active/non-football injury list before training camp and cannot practice until he passes his physical. No additional information has been provided regarding which finger is affected, how the injury occurred, or whether he required a procedure. The 23-year-old caught 26 of 35 targets for 292 yards and two touchdowns across 17 games as a rookie while also handling most of Houston's return work. Noel returned 31 punts for 335 yards and 29 kickoffs for 799 yards. He entered camp positioned to compete for a larger second-year role from the slot in addition to his special-teams responsibilities. The reported timeline suggests the injury is relatively short term, but Noel will lose valuable practice repetitions while sidelined. His eventual activation and participation level will determine how much time he has to prepare for an expanded offensive role.