The Kansas City Chiefs picked up another weapon in the passing game on Saturday by selecting wide receiver Jalen Royals out of Utah State.
Here's more on the newest member of the offense.
1. Royals racked up a ton of big plays in college.
The six-foot-tall, 205-pound Royals tallied 10 catches of 50+ yards over the last two seasons, marking the most of any player in the FBS. He has good speed as evidenced by his 4.42-second 40-yard dash, but Royals' ability to make defenders miss is a major component of his game.
For example, he recorded 17 forced missed tackles in 2024 while averaging 7.9 yards after-the-catch. Here's more from Dane Brugler's draft guide, which describes a skillset that will likely fit right in with Head Coach Andy Reid's scheme:
"He has efficient catch-and-go skills to create on slants, bubbles and tunnel screens…He shimmies feet to shake press or make safeties miss once he gets to open field."
2. He burst on the scene in 2023 with a truly incredible season.
Initially a zero-star recruit, Royals didn't receive any FBS or FCS offers out of high school, prompting him to enroll at Georgia Military College for the 2021 season. He caught the attention of Utah State's coaches at a tryout camp the following offseason, however, and the rest is history.
After not recording a catch in his first season with the Aggies, Royals' production exploded in 2023 with 71 catches for 1,080 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was the only player in the FBS with 70+ catches and 15+ receiving scores.
3. Royals was off to a great start last year, too, before a foot injury ended his season early.
The 22-year-old Royals tallied 55 grabs for 834 yards and six scores through seven games in 2024 before missing the final five games of the campaign due to a foot injury.
His 119.1 receiving yards-per-game ranked fourth in the FBS before getting hurt.
4. He was the seventh-ranked wide receiver on Dane Brugler's big board.
Dane Brugler, who compiles some of the best pre-draft information in the industry, had Royals as his No. 7 wide receiver in this year's class, and his No. 63 overall player.
Here's what Brugler wrote about Royals in his draft guide:
"Royals combines smooth footwork with athletic body control, physical play strength and tracking skills to be a three-level threat as he expands his route tree."
The folks at Pro Football Focus also had Royals highly-rated, ranking him as their eighth-best receiver in this year's class, and their No. 60 overall player. Here's a portion of their evaluation:
"Royals has a compact build at just above 6 feet and 200 pounds. That frame gives him plus strength when working through contact and running after the catch while breaking tackles. His strength doesn't stop there, as his hands are reliable in open and contested situations. He shows fast feet against press coverage and when breaking on routes."
Elsewhere, he was the No. 76 overall player on Matt Miller's board for ESPN, and the No. 93 overall player on Daniel Jeremiah's board for NFL.com.
The point is, wherever you look, the Chiefs appear to have grabbed some major value at No. 133 overall.
5. Royals also has experience as a kick-returner.
The Aggies' coaching staff deployed Royals as a kick-returner in 2024 and he did well, averaging 20.4 yards-per-return. Overall, he handled nine kicks for 184 yards in seven games.
Royals will now have a chance to show what he can do on both special teams and offense soon enough as a member of the Chiefs.
