NFL Draft Profile: Utah State wide receiver Jalen Royals

The explosive Jalen Royals would give the Broncos another playmaking threat at wide receiver

One prospect that the Denver Broncos are showing interest in is Utah State speedster Jalen Royals. He’s a 6’0″, 205-pound receiver who is viewed as one of the better pass catchers in the draft.

Royals played a total of three seasons at Utah State and was a productive player for them on offense. During his three year career at Utah State, Royals played in 32 games and totaled 126 receptions for 1,914 yards and 21 touchdown receptions. This past year, Royals played in 7 games and totaled 55 receptions for 834 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Player Profile

Jalen Royals | Wide Receiver | Utah State

• Height: 6’0″
• Weight: 205 pounds
• Hands: 9 1/2 inches
• Arm Length: 30 1/8 inches
• 40-Yard Dash: 4.42 seconds
• 10-Yard Split: 1.49 seconds
• Bench Press: 13 reps

Film Room

Scouting Report

Strengths

• Dynamic play-making wide receiver
• Has a second gear and great straight-line speed
• Quickly gets up to speed once the ball is in his hands
• Short area quickness and has the ability to make defenders miss
• Has the ability to be a YAC guy and a weapon in the short passing game
• Strong hands and plucks the ball out of the air
• Very good body control, which allows him to adjust to make tough catches
• Was able to consistently find the soft spots in the zone
• Developmental high upside player who is an ascending talent

Weakness

• Needs to improve against press coverage
• His overall game needs development and will require a talented coaching staff to help him reach his upside
• Limited experience against top talent/small school prospect
• Missed part of last season due to a foot injury

Jalen Royal’s RAS

What other analysts are saying about Utah wide receiver Jalen Royals

NFL.com’s draft analyst Lance Zierlein on WR Jalen Royals

Skilled and instinctive, Royals might lack the desired explosiveness, but he makes up for it with his body control and feel for the game. He has good size and is keenly aware of defenders around him, which allows him to adjust routes and improve his chances on contested catches. He’s a decent route-runner but doesn’t have the short-area foot quickness and burst to open wide windows for his quarterback. He’s excellent as a zone-beater and uses plus body control and play strength to bring in catches in traffic. Royals is a smooth athlete who can play inside or outside and is best suited for an offense that will value him as a possession target over the first two levels.

Final Thoughts

Royals is your classic high-upside small school prospect who will need development to reach his potential.

The explosiveness, speed, and play-making ability jump out at you when watching Royals play. His work in the quick passing game stood out to me, considering Sean Payton utilizes that often in his offense. Screen plays, quick slants, and just getting the ball in the hands of his explosive playmakers as much as possible. He can also take the top off an offense, which is something you’re always looking for on offense.

I am all for the Broncos adding another explosive YAC guy who would thrive in the offense we saw Payton use last season. I trust their coaching staff to get the most out of him, and giving Bo Nix another high-upside player to work with would be exciting.

I think Royals is a day two guy and most likely going in the third round. It’s not the deepest receiver class, and Royals athleticism and upside will get him drafted ahead of other prospects. If he’s on the board when the Broncos are on the clock, I would not be upset if they decided to draft him.