Jalen Royals WR Utah State | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Jalen Royals WR Utah State
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
ROLE: Outside X-Receiver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Updated: 10/28/2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Draft Year: 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
40 time: 4.38 seconds (88%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
SHARE THIS PROFILE:
|
ROLE: Outside X-Receiver | |
Last Updated: 10/28/2024 | |
Draft Year: 2025 | |
40 time: 4.38 seconds (88%*) | |
SHARE THIS PROFILE:
|
Overall Rating: | 83.9 / 100 | |
---|---|---|
Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
Defense Rating: |
|
72% |
Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
QB Rating When targeted: | 116.4 | |
Hands: |
|
73% |
Short Receiving: |
|
79% |
Intermediate Routes: |
|
81% |
Deep Threat: |
|
84% |
Blocking: |
|
52% |
DRAFT PROJECTION:
3rd
Overall Rank:
#74
Position rank:
#8
|
||
College Games: 26 College Snaps: 1413 |
Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
---|---|---|
Malachi Corley - Western Kentucky |
|
82% |
Jalen Tolbert - South Alabama |
|
81% |
Devontez Walker - North Carolina |
|
79% |
Draft Profile: Bio
A late-blooming vertical threat who took the Mountain West by storm in 2023, Royals emerged from relative obscurity at Georgia Military College to shatter Utah State's single-season touchdown record with 15 scores. The Powder Springs, Georgia native showcased his athleticism early as a high school track standout, clearing 6'4" in the high jump before a brief stint in junior college where he logged just 7 catches for 92 yards.After a redshirt season in 2022, Royals exploded onto the scene with a dominant 2023 campaign, recording 71 receptions for 1,080 yards (15.2 yards per catch) and setting a new school record with 15 touchdown receptions. His seven touchdowns of 50+ yards led the nation, highlighting his ability to take the top off defenses. Against UConn, he posted career highs with 185 receiving yards and three touchdowns, including a 71-yard score.
The First-Team All-Mountain West selection showed remarkable consistency down the stretch, recording touchdown receptions in 9 of his final 10 games. His production earned him College Football Network Third-Team All-American honors, as he finished second in the nation in receiving touchdowns (1.2 per game) and 24th in receiving yards (83.1 per game).
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Verified track speed translates to the field with a blazing 4.38 forty time, consistently stacking corners vertically and creating separation on deep routes
- Natural hands-catcher who excels in contested catch situations, displaying strong concentration and ability to fully extend away from his frame
- Devastating effectiveness on post-corner routes, demonstrating sharp breaking ability and advanced understanding of defensive leverage
- Elite vertical production with seven touchdowns of 50+ yards, showcasing exceptional ball tracking ability over his shoulder
- Shows impressive body control and adjustment skills at the catch point, playing bigger than his listed 6'0" frame
- Demonstrates sudden acceleration off the line of scrimmage, creating immediate separation against press coverage
- Advanced understanding of finding soft spots against zone coverage, particularly effective working the middle of the field
- Exhibits strong mental processing with ability to read coverage pre-snap and adjust routes accordingly
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Limited experience against elite competition, having played exclusively at the Group of 5 level with just one season of significant production
- Struggles with physicality in his releases, showing inconsistent hand usage and technique when facing press coverage at the line
- Route tree remains underdeveloped at short and intermediate levels, relying heavily on vertical concepts for production
- Blocking technique and effectiveness need significant refinement, often lacking proper positioning and power at point of attack
- Shows some concentration lapses on routine catches, particularly when working the middle of the field at intermediate depths
Scouting Report: Summary
Raw athleticism and deep-threat capability jump off the tape, with legitimate 4.38 speed that translates directly to vertical route success. The deep receiving metrics (83.89) back up the film study, though the drop-off in production on intermediate routes (81.14) and short game (78.56) expose concerning gaps in the route tree development. Overall rank (72) slots him firmly in the Day 3 conversation where his splash-play potential offers intriguing upside.Scheme fit points to a heavy vertical passing attack that can maximize straight-line speed while masking current limitations in release technique and route diversity. The 72.90 hands grade shows natural receiving traits worth developing, though the 52.41 blocking grade will limit early-down usage at the next level. Initial NFL impact projects primarily to clear-out routes and designed shot plays while technical refinement catches up to physical tools.
Raw traits and athletic testing suggest a higher ceiling than the current overall grade (83.9) indicates, provided proper technical development in an NFL program. Ideal deployment would feature heavy usage of post-corners, nine routes, and deep crossers that leverage verified deep speed while limiting exposure to press coverage and complex route adjustments early in his career.
How other scouting services rate Jalen Royals (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
67.7
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
9.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.