The Kansas City Chiefs selected wide receiver Jalen Royals in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and the Utah State product could earn an immediate role in the passing attack. Following his 4.42 40-yard dash and 1.49-second 10-yard split, teams across the league knew Royals had athletic potential and could develop into a dangerous threat at the game’s highest level. Chiefs Director of Player Personnel Ryne Nutt recently spoke on the rookie and spoke about how he’s similar to fellow Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice.
“His game is very similar to Rashee’s,” Nutt said, via ESPN’s Adam Teicher. “He’s got big hands, strong hands, and he’s very good after the catch…We look for speed. The kid had that 4.40. We look for strength, and he has that. Then 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.”
Chiefs Exec: Jalen Royals Is Similar to Rashee Rice
This is an interesting comparison, as the Jalen Royals selection could imply the team has questions about the short-term future of Rashee Rice. Frankly, these worries are not without cause, as the second-round pick is returning from a season-ending knee injury and might not look like his old self early in the season. Even if he is 100% by Week 1, he could still face league discipline for his involvement in a 2024 car crash in Dallas.
With Travis Kelce slowing down, Rice became the go-to option in Kansas City’s passing attack. After recording 79 receptions for 938 yards as a rookie, the second-round pick hauled in 24 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns in the three games he started and finished last year. When extrapolated to a 17-game pace, he could’ve finished with 136 receptions for 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns.
It should go without saying that Jalen Royals will not be able to put up that type of production as a rookie in this offense. If Rice isn’t available, the rookie probably won’t be anything more than the third option in the passing attack. However, his presence brings much-needed depth to an offense that could use a few more reliable weapons.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – Imagn Images
