The Kansas City Chiefs have a clear question mark at receiver concerning the team's depth heading into the 2026 season. If the season were to start today, Jalen Royals would be the fourth option with Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Tyquan Thornton as the starting trio. However, there is reason to wonder whether the upcoming draft class will change this, perhaps demoting Royals to a lesser role or even putting the pass catcher in a position where he will be forced to fight for a roster spot.
Royals is coming off a season in which it was clear Kansas City had little trust in the pass catcher. The receiver was limited to running 36 routes the entire 2025 season and was given a trio of targets. This speaks to the lack of trust the Chiefs have in the rookie and hints at why the draft could be a game-changer for the second-year receiver. It wouldn't be shocking to see Kansas City utilize one of its early selections to add depth at the position.
Drafting a receiver in the early rounds makes sense as Worthy hasn't lived up to expectations, and Rice has continued to face off-the-field concerns. Add in the fact that Thornton is coming off the best season of his career, and the Chiefs have every reason to approach the draft with a focus on adding depth at receiver. If this is the case, it is fair to wonder just how far Royals might fall on the KC depth chart.
Chiefs Receiver Jalen Royals Clearly Has a Lot Riding on Upcoming Draft Decisions
Chiefs fans are a bit split on Royals and whether it was a coaching failure not having the pass catcher play a bigger role a season ago, or an indication of a lack of talent. Considering that Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster were playing meaningful snaps and both had departed in free agency, the stage has been set for fans to get an answer to this question.
The only hurdle left for Royals is hoping that this year's draft class isn't bringing in impact players at the receiver position. The pass catcher is helped by the fact that Kansas City has several remaining defensive needs with safety, corner, and defensive line all expected to be the areas of focus for the Chiefs in this year's class.
If that does prove to be the case Royals will be able to breathe a sigh of relief, understanding that he remains an important part of the Kansas City offense. However, if the Chiefs do opt to bring in weapons to rebuild the depth chart Royals' entire offseason outlook flips as the receiver moves from an expected contributor to fighting for a roster spot and a clear question mark heading into the 2026 season.