Patriots draft profile: Jalen Royals is just a good all-around receiver

Scouting report for the Utah State wide receiver, who projects as a mid-round pick in this year’s draft.

The offensive line will be the New England Patriots’ main focus in this year’s draft, but their quest to surround quarterback Drake Maye with the best possible supporting cast will not end there. The Patriots adding some help at the skill positions also would not be a surprise, with the wide receiver spot in particular worth keeping an eye on.

If the Patriots plan to address wideout early, Utah State’s Jalen Royals projects as a potential target.

Hard facts

Name: Jalen Royals

Position: Wide receiver

School: Utah State

Opening day age: 22 (2/18/2003)

Measurements: 6’0”, 205 lbs, 73 3/4” wingspan, 30 1/8” arm length, 9 1/2” hand size, 4.42s 40-yard dash, 6.94s 3-cone drill, 4.25s short shuttle, 36” vertical jump, 10’1” broad jump, 13 bench press reps, 9.01 Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Colleges: Georgia Military College (2021), Utah State (2022-24)

Career statistics: 32 games (21 starts) | 1,417 offensive snaps, 84 special teams snaps, 1 defensive snap | 184 targets, 126 catches (68.5%), 1,914 yards, 21 TDs | 0-of-1 pass attempts | 10 kickoff returns, 184 yards (18.4 yards/return) | 9 drops (4.9%)

Accolades: First-team All-Mountain West (2023), Second-team All-Mountain West (2024)

Royals was a multi-sport athlete at Hillgrove High School in Powder Springs, GA; besides playing wide receiver and cornerback, he also was part of the school’s basketball and track teams. This background contributed to him being rated a no-star recruit and not receiving any scholarship offers at the FBS or FCS level.

He eventually took his talents to Georgia Military College in hopes of earning higher-level opportunities. His chance came after participating in a Utah State tryout in June 2022; he quickly received a scholarship offer and made his debut for the Aggies that fall. After seeing only minor action in his first year in the program, he started his final 20 games and finished with 126 catches for 1,914 yards and 21 touchdowns as well as two All-Mountain West honors.

Even though his final year in Logan came to an abrupt end after suffering a foot injury in October, he was able to participate in the Senior Bowl and Scouting Combine. He met with the Patriots’ representatives down in Mobile.

Draft profile

Expected round: 3 | Consensus big board: No. 71 | Patriots meeting: Senior Bowl

Strengths: Royals may not have any truly elite traits — hence his projection as a Day 2 pick in the draft — but he is a good all-around wide receiver prospect. He offers good size and length and combines it with a promising athletic foundation; his 4.42-second 40-yard dash ranks in the 81 percentile for wideout prospects since 1999, while his 1.49 10-yard split falls into the 93 percentile category. His burst is legitimate, and makes him a potential three-level weapon entering the NFL.

His acceleration has allowed Royals to become a productive player picking up yards after the catch; he averaged a YAC number of 7.9 during the 2024 season. He is a particular threat on slants or screen passes, giving him space to operate and quickly build up speed. He forced 33 missed tackles over his last two seasons, including 17 during his final season in school.

Royals was primarily used split out wide at Utah State, but he also moved into the slot on a regular basis. No matter where he lined up, though, he showcased good body control, adequate and somewhat varied route running, and the ability to haul in passes outside his frame. He generally has a strong set of hands and the proper ball tracking and concentration to make catches in traffic and when operating with limited space down the sideline.

Weaknesses: Coming off only two real years of competing at the FBS level, Royals is still raw in some respects. His route tree, for example, could benefit from growing some branches; go routes, slants/hitches and screens were his bread and butter concepts at Utah State. He also was not the most precise route runner at times, and can be seen rounding his breaks every now and then; as former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith said, he was being taught “some bad habits” in regards to his technique.

Royals is a willing blocker in the running game but not yet at a level where he can consistently win at the point of attack. That can also be applied to his work against press-man coverage: he has some attributes that allow him to win against press, but would benefit from an improved technical foundation.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? Royals spent most of his college career on the perimeter, aligning as Utah State’s X-receiver a fair amount of snaps. However, heading into the NFL he projects as more of a Z — an inside/out option who adds a vertical element to the offense but also is capable as an underneath player. As such, he would play a complementary role to the likes of Stefon Diggs and Ja’Lynn Polk before eventually turning into a starting-caliber option.

What is his growth potential? As noted above, there is a certain element of rawness to Royals’ game. Once he addresses those areas, he has the athletic foundation and ball skills to become a quality starter at the NFL level. He might never become a true No. 1 let alone an All-Pro at the position, but he could turn into this Patriots regime’s version of an ultra-dependable chain mover in the mold of Jakobi Meyers.

Does he have positional versatility? Besides being able to align both inside and outside as well as on and off the line of scrimmage, Royals has the skillset to become a factor in a variety of roles. In addition, he might also enter the conversation for the No. 1 kickoff returner job.

Why the Patriots? If New England wants to add some promising young talent to its receiving corps without investing premium capital — i.e. one of its first- or second-round picks — then Royals makes plenty of sense midway through the third round. He already is a well-rounded receiver who offers a mix of build and skill that should translate to the NFL.

Why not the Patriots? The Patriots’ biggest need at wide receiver is on the outside. While Royals will help address that, he is no true X-receiver. As a result, the team might prefer players such as Tre Harris, Elic Ayomanor or Jayden Higgins on Day 2 of the draft.

One-sentence verdict: Royals might be a bit of an under-the-radar player in this year’s draft, but he has what it takes to become a quality volume target for Drake Maye and the Patriots.

What do you think about Jalen Royals as a potential Patriots target? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.