Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jalen Royals appears to have a chance to be involved in the offense during the 2025-26 campaign sooner rather than later. "He can make an impact immediately," said Greg Castillo, Kansas City's western regional scout. "He can separate with the short route and he can separate with the intermediate route. He's got a ton of versatility. The 2025 No. 133 overall pick had a quality collegiate career, totaling 21 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Utah State. He also averaged 15.2 yards per catch during that span. The Chiefs have an experienced wide receiver group, consisting of Rashee Rice (knee), Marquise Brown, Xavier Worthy, and JuJu Smith-Schuster. In addition, tight end Travis Kelce will return for another season. But considering nagging injuries were a theme for the receiving corps last season, Royals is a player who may have a shot to contribute earlier than anticipated. Although his redraft stock isn't high, he's someone dynasty managers can consider later in rookie drafts.
Fourth-round rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals officially signed his rookie contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday, according to Charles Goldman of AtoZ Sports. The Utah State product was viewed by many as a potential Day 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he ultimately fell to the defending AFC Champions in Round 4. In 20 games over the last two seasons, Royals collected 126 receptions for 1,914 yards and 21 touchdowns. His landing spot with Patrick Mahomes is exciting, but he's not likely to make a significant fantasy football impact in Year 1 while sharing an offense with Travis Kelce, Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice, and Marquise Brown. He's worth a late-round flyer in dynasty setups, but redraft expectations should be tempered.
The Kansas City Chiefs have selected Jalen Royals with the 133rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Royals, who was a candidate to be selected on Day 2, represents the Chiefs' latest attempt to bolster the wide receiver room for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He caught 126 passes for 1,914 yards and 21 touchdowns over his final two collegiate seasons. He is a versatile, well-rounded receiver who can make an impact right away, though he could initially be blocked on the depth chart by Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice, and Marquise Brown.
Jalen Royals
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