Jalen Royals is ready to get to work and eager to join Chiefs’ ‘winning culture’
Wide receiver Jalen Royals was a little surprised that he was still available to teams on day three of the NFL Draft, but he couldn’t be happier with where he landed.
The Chiefs selected Royals, the Utah State wide receiver, in the fourth round on Saturday, and he’s thrilled to be joining the Chiefs.
“Man, that culture over there, that winning culture (excites me),” Royals told the Deseret News. “They’ve been to the Super Bowl many times and won many times too. I just know walking into that I need to be about my business, lock in and embrace the Kansas City culture.”
The Chiefs are hopeful that Rashee Rice will be ready at the start of the season, while Xavier Worthy hopes to build off a solid rookie season and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown is healthy after missing most of the regular season.
JuJu Smith-Schuster and Nikko Remigio are veterans in the Chiefs’ receiving room.
That could limit Royals’ opportunities early, but that doesn’t bother him. He’s accustomed to taking things slow. When he first got to Utah State, Royals appeared in 12 games but didn’t have a reception.
“I took a backseat (at Utah State) when I got there,” Royals told the Deseret News. “I grew and grew and got better as a person and as a player. And when my chance came up I took full opportunity of it, embraced it and made the most of it.
“I feel like when you get to NFL it is kind of similar. You’re going to the league and you’re fresh new and know you’re behind some great players. And whenever your opportunity arrives, whether it’s on special teams or even in practice, you just have to embrace it and come to it.”
Royals was viewed by multiple NFL writers as a steal for the Chiefs. He hopes to show those experts they were correct in that assessment.
“I just want to prove I belong,” Royals said. “I worked so hard to get here and I just want to stay in the NFL. I want to show the team that I belong here and that I can continue to up my game and get better.”
This story was originally published May 1, 2025 at 12:18 PM.
