With Patrick Mahomes looking as healthy as possible at this stage of his recovery from a torn ACL, the most pressing concern at Kansas City Chiefs' training camp is surprisingly not about the state of things at quarterback. Instead, the worries have shifted on offense to wide receiver, where a number of injuries have limited the corps in one way or another.
As Rashee Rice works his way back to full health following offseason knee surgery, and as Cyrus Allen and Xavier Worthy try to fully bounce back from in-camp injuries, Jalen Royals has been given a golden opportunity to earn meaningful reps as a healthy wideout in a room that is looking for someone to step up.
One year into his NFL career, Royals remains an unknown in the team's short- and long-term plans. After redshirting his rookie campaign, with only 86 offensive snaps played across 7 games, the Chiefs know little more now than they did one year ago when they selected him in the fourth round out of Utah State. In his second camp, the Chiefs are hoping to see him take a leap forward given a full year in the playbook.
So far, head coach Andy Reid says he's showing signs of growth. On Monday, Reid answered questions about his progress in camp, and he responded, "Yeah, listen, he’s getting better every day—faster, playing faster every day, which is important. Had some nice catches today. He’s just gotta keep going, gotta stack the days, you know? It’s not what you did today. If you did well today, then you’ve gotta do well tomorrow. That’s the challenge."
Andy Reid had good things to say about Jalen Royals' camp progress, but more is needed if he's going to make a difference in the WR room.
Reid is not shy about giving a guy his due if he's impressing, so the coachspeak here feels a bit muted in terms of excitement. Royals has generated a bit of buzz in camp so far, but nothing that's truly turned heads like rookie Cyrus Allen or previous camp St. Joe sensations like Justyn Ross. That doesn't mean that Royals isn't coming along as hoped or that he won't make an in-season splash, but through two summers, there's really nothing to project for fans.
That's a shame because Royals came into the NFL with averages of 63 catches for 957 yards in each of his last two seasons with the Aggies. He also caught a whopping 21 touchdowns in that stretch. Dane Brugler had him as his No. 63 overall player, and Daniel Jeremiah had him just inside his top 100. That's why Royals looked like such a strong value at No. 133 overall in the fourth round.
Reid's comments were positive, to be sure, so perhaps fans should feel encouraged and leave it at that. But the need for more reliable targets for Mahomes in the passing game is very real, and the team has already invested in Royals. It'd be nice to see this one pay off, which, in Reid's words, means Royals needs to keep stacking good days together. The Chiefs still have a month before the season begins, so hopefully Royals will get there.
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