2025 draft pick Jalen Royals not only fits the Chiefs long-term, but also will serve a specific purpose in 2025
The Kansas City Chiefs got one of the biggest steals of the 2025 NFL Draft when they selected wide receiver Jalen Royals in the fourth round. Many had Royals projected as a second-round pick, and our A to Z Sports Mock Draft Database had him being taken 58 spots ahead of where he ended up. […]
The Kansas City Chiefs got one of the biggest steals of the 2025 NFL Draft when they selected wide receiver Jalen Royals in the fourth round.
Many had Royals projected as a second-round pick, and our A to Z Sports Mock Draft Database had him being taken 58 spots ahead of where he ended up. Chiefs Director of Player Personnel and College Scouting Ryne Nutt detailed how Royals got on their radar, and Royals will serve a specific purpose as a rookie.
"First off, his game is very similar to Rashee's (Rice)," Nutt said. "He plays outside, but he primarily plays in the slot. When I say he's like Rashee, he's got big hands, strong hands, and he's very good after the catch. And you saw him downfield too on some of those clips. I'm sure you saw the kid had 50-plus touchdowns in 2023. He was pace in 2024 to smash the 2023 production before he got injured. So we thought, YAC (yards after catch) is a big part of our offense. That's something we look for in receivers. We look for speed, The kid had that – 4.40 (40-yard dash). We look for strength, he has that. And we look for route running. And that's probably an area where Rashee had to kind of develop a little bit. So we kind of thought they were similar in that respect."
"But, he (Royals) came on the scene," Nutt continued. "We watched his tape before the Senior Bowl. Brett (Chiefs GM Brett Veach) will kind of pick guys, and we're like, hey, this guy's kind of interesting. Then he goes to the Senior Bowl and we thought he really did well. So he got even more on the radar. Then he goes to the combine, runs a 4.40, jumps to 36 (36-inch vertical). And we're like, oh, this kid's explosive. And then you get the coaches involved and we zoom them and we talk and we're like yeah, we could use this kid. And with Rashee coming back from injury and trying to get right, the hopes are you know this kid (Royals) can step in and get some playing time and help us out."
The similarities between Royals and Rice are apparent, from their body build to their skillsets. If Rice needs some extended time to recover from his torn LCL during OTAs and possibly even training camp, Royals can fill his role. Rice could also miss time during the regular season due to a suspension stemming from a car crash incident from March of 2024, but that remains up in the air at this time.
Regardless of how much time Rice may miss, the Chiefs now have another WR on their roster with similar traits. Hopefully that means their offense doesn't slow down significantly if Rice is out. When they're able to pair the two together, Kansas City's passing game could be lethal, especially with Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy in the mix.
Kansas City Chiefs 2025 NFL Draft Winners and Losers: Josh Simmons, Jalen Royals could push veterans off the roster
There will be plenty of competition this summer.
