{"id":57310,"date":"2025-04-29T11:11:18","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T11:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=57310"},"modified":"2025-04-29T11:11:18","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T11:11:18","slug":"update-chiefs-credited-with-1-of-12-best-late-round-draft-steals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=57310","title":{"rendered":"UPDATE: Chiefs Credited With 1 of 12 \u2018Best Late-Round\u2019 Draft Steals"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Chiefs<\/p>\n

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has done it again, getting the KC organization onto early lists highlighting the top steals of the 2025 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

The Sporting News\u2019 Vinnie Iyer published such a list on April 27, and fourth-round wide receiver Jalen Royals was identified as one of the 12 \u201cbest late-round steals\u201d of 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Chiefs, between Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, and Royals, have made it a point to surround big-armed Patrick Mahomes with speedy vertical threats,\u201d Iyers wrote. \u201cRoyals qualifies as one with some reliable route-running to boost.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Along with Brown, Worthy and Royals, Kansas City also flaunts two of the top yards after catch playmakers in the game in tight end Travis Kelce and returning star WR Rashee Rice. The rookie has even drawn some comparisons to the latter.<\/p>\n

Chiefs See \u2018Draft Steal\u2019 Jalen Royals\u2019 Game as \u2018Similar\u2019 to Star WR Rashee Rice<\/h2>\n

While addressing the media on April 28, Chiefs Director of Player Personnel\/College Scouting\u00a0Ryne Nutt noted\u00a0that the front office saw strong similarities between Royals and Rice.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst off, his game is very similar to Rashee\u2019s,\u201d Nutt began. Explaining: \u201c[When] you watch [Royals], he lines up primarily on the left side \u2014 that\u2019s how some offenses in college work, they want to go fast so they\u2019ll have the receiver line up on the same side every time to do that.<\/em><\/p>\n

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#Chiefs Director of Player Personnel\/College Scouting Ryne Nutt on Jalen Royals and how they see him similar to Rashee Rice . #ChiefsKingdom @KSHB41 @41IsTheMi<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWhen I say he\u2019s like Rashee, [I mean that] he\u2019s got big hands, strong hands, and he\u2019s very good after the catch,\u201d the KC executive went on. \u201cThe kid had what, seven 50-plus touchdowns in 2023. He was on pace in 2024 to kind of smash the 2023 production before he got injured.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Athlon Sports analyst\u00a0Doug Farrar also seconded this comparison\u00a0on X.<\/p>\n

Going one step further, Nutt relayed that the Chiefs look at speed, strength, run after catch ability and route-running when they scout wide receivers. He added that Royals checks a lot of these boxes, just like Rice did a couple of years ago.<\/p>\n

Finally, Nutt confirmed that Royals mostly operated out of the slot in college, and that \u201cthe hope is\u201d he\u2019ll help step in and contribute in the event of a Rice suspension or setback.<\/p>\n

Chiefs Get One of the Only \u2018A\u2019 Grades From NFL Writer<\/h2>\n

CBS Sports writer\u00a0Pete Prisco graded each team\u2019s draft performance\u00a0on April 27, and the Chiefs earned one of the only three \u201cA\u201d grades that he awarded.<\/p>\n

After referring to first-round offensive tackle Josh Simmons as KC\u2019s \u201cbest pick,\u201d Prisco also followed up on the rest of their 2025 draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really liked their draft,\u201d he wrote. \u201cSimmons will be a star. [Omarr] Norman-Lott can be really good. Third-round edge\u00a0Ashton Gillotte was one of my favorite players in this draft and was on my Better-Than team. Third-round corner Nohl Williams and fourth-round receiver Jalen Royals will be nice additions and I liked seventh-round back Brashard Smith.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

It seems like this could be another slam-dunk class for Veach and Kansas City. Which is becoming a regular tradition most offseasons.<\/p>\n

The Chiefs have developed into a consistent NFL powerhouse for multiple reasons \u2014 including Mahomes, head coach Andy Reid and his staff. But the other key has been Veach, his scouting team and this front office\u2019s ability to identify and draft the right talent, which allows them to retool their roster every offseason without a major drop-off in quality.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s only one way to remain dominant in a league as competitive as the\u00a0NFL<\/a>, even if you find the QB and the head coach, and it\u2019s that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has done it again, getting the KC organization onto early lists highlighting the top steals of the 2025 NFL Draft…. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":57311,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nUPDATE: Chiefs Credited With 1 of 12 \u2018Best Late-Round\u2019 Draft Steals - News 365<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=57310\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UPDATE: Chiefs Credited With 1 of 12 \u2018Best Late-Round\u2019 Draft Steals - 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