The Kansas City Chiefs already boast Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, Rashee Rice and JuJu Smith-Schuster in their wide receiver room, which makes their No. 133 overall pick in the fourth round this year a bit of a head-scratcher, in Utah State wideout Jalen Royals.
He likely won’t get much playing time unless there’s an injury or Rice is forced to miss time due to his legal problems back in Dallas.
Instead, he could make an impact on special teams if the Chiefs allow him to return kicks.
Regardless, Bucs Wire named Royals as the best surprise candidate for the Chiefs in 2025,
“The Chiefs have dealt with significant setbacks relative to injuries at the wide receiver position in recent seasons, and if that trend should continue in 2025, Royals would be the likely breakout candidate for Kansas City as a rookie,” John Dillon with Chiefs Wire wrote. “He was a scoring machine during his three-year tenure with the Utah State Aggies as a collegian, tallying 21 touchdown receptions between his 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
“Though Royals is likely to be buried behind Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown on the Chiefs’ depth chart, fans should expect to see the fourth-round pick to be the ‘next man up’ if any of Kansas City’s veterans are sidelined.”
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein noted Royals’ instincts and skills in his NFL Draft profile.
“Skilled and instinctive, Royals might lack the desired explosiveness, but he makes up for it with his body control and feel for the game,” Zierlein wrote. “He has good size and is keenly aware of defenders around him, which allows him to adjust routes and improve his chances on contested catches. He’s a decent route-runner but doesn’t have the short-area foot quickness and burst to open wide windows for his quarterback. He’s excellent as a zone-beater and uses plus body control and play strength to bring in catches in traffic.
“Royals is a smooth athlete who can play inside or outside and is best suited for an offense that will value him as a possession target over the first two levels.”
