Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jalen Royals was taken in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Utah State and played sparingly as a rookie. He caught two passes for four yards in seven games. The 6-foot, 195-pound receiver opened training camp fourth on the depth chart and eyes a larger role in the offense in 2026.
Royals flashed in the second preseason game Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He led the team with six grabs for 51 yards, delivering on each of his targets. He has now caught all eight targets for 68 yards in two preseason games. Royals received the fifth-highest grade Saturday with an 80.8, according to Pro Football Focus. He played the highest amount of snaps in the game with 36 or 58% of the offense.
“It was great to see Royals step up and have a couple of nice catches,” head coach Andy Reid said. “I thought the yards after the catch were nice.”
Royals has shown the ability to break tackles but has also become a reliable target when the pocket breaks down. With Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy entrenched as the top-two receivers, Tyquan Thornton is the frontrunner for the third receiver spot. Royals and rookie Cyrus Allen have applied pressure for that third spot on the depth chart.
Allen, who was the talk of the early portion of camp and the preseason, caught three of his five targets against the Bucs. He gained just seven yards. Royals has potentially created some distance between him and the rookie, and this will be one of the major things we’ll be watching in the final preseason game Friday against the Seattle Seahawks.
