Kansas City Chiefs add versatile wide receiver with 4th round pick in NFL Draft
It wasn’t a good season for Utah State, but it wasn’t Jalen Royals’ fault.
The Chiefs’ fourth-round selection in the NFL Draft played in seven games last season, and the Aggies lost six of them on their way to a 4-8 season.
But Royals had 55 receptions in seven games before suffering a foot injury. He topped 100 yards four times and turned in a six-reception game against Southern California.
The 6-foot, 205-pound Royals spent three seasons at Utah State, racking up 126 receptions for 1,914 yards and 21 touchdowns. He averaged 15.2 yards per reception.
Additionally, Royals returned seven kicks, and that could be part of his role for the Chiefs.
What the Chiefs liked most about Royals was his ability to play inside and outside — and yards-after-catch ability.
“He can really separate with intermediate routes, and he has a ton of versatility,” said Greg Castillo, the Chiefs’ West Coast scout. “We were happy he was available. He can make an impact immediately.”
The Chiefs will enter offseason workouts with established wide receivers Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice (who is returning from an injury), Marquis “Hollywood” Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Nikko Remigio and Skyy Moore among others.
General manager Brett Veach hinted that the Chiefs would be the market for a wide receiver in this draft, and the team has had success at the position in recent drafts with Rice in 2023 and Worthy last season.
This story was originally published April 26, 2025 at 1:48 PM.