Jalen Royals Dynasty Value: From Unknown to Unstoppable

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It's 2021.

Jalen Royals plays for Georgia Military College and catches just 7 passes all season.

He transfers to Utah State in 2022, only to be held off the stat sheet entirely.

So how does a college football unknown go from no production to one of the top producers in the country? 

Let's review his unlikely journey ... and then get a look at what makes him such an intriguing dynasty prospect.

Jalen Royals Dynasty Values

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Jalen Royals Draft Profile

*Royals weighed 210 pounds at the Senior Bowl in January.

Jalen Royals Combine Results

Football or Hoops? Royals’ Uncertain Beginnings

Royals posted 26 catches as a high school senior. Combine poor stats with a commitment to basketball, and it’s no surprise he drew little college football interest.

Ultimately, he enrolled at Georgia Military College to play WR. Royals managed only 7 catches, 92 yards, and 2 TDs over 11 games.

Still, he earned an invite to a Utah State football camp in summer 2022. 

Royals parlayed that experience into a scholarship offer – and a stunning journey up the college ranks.

Royals Turns Heads … Without Catching a Pass

His first year at Utah State found Royals delivering literally nothing statistically. But OC Kyle Cefalo still viewed it as a crucial season.

“The crazy part was last year he really didn’t play much and he didn’t have a catch last year,” Cefalo said via the Herald Journal News. "But I still saw the things in practice that we were excited about as a coaching staff — like his route running, the ability to drop his hips, getting off press coverage.

"And then finally we take on spring ball and we lost some seniors in the group, kind of threw Jalen into that role, and ever since spring ball he hasn’t looked back.”

Cefalo wasn’t kidding …

WR Takes Over in Year 2

Wanna see a breakout season?

Royals went from an empty stat sheet in 2022 to these numbers in 2023:

• 71 catches
• 1,080 yards
• 15 TDs

Royals’ market shares proved strong as well:

• 26.3% of the team’s catches
• 32.6% of the receiving yards
• 42.8% of the receiving TDs

The 6’0, 205-pounder led the nation with seven TDs of 50+ yards. That included a massive 7-185-3 line against UConn in September.

How would Royals follow up?

Royals Produces Like An All-American

Through eight games in 2024, Royals ranked:

• third among all FBS WRs in targets
• fifth in catches
• third in receiving yards
• tied for 17th in TDs

He notched 15.3 yards per catch and a robust 3.00 yards per route run.

His season looked to be on cruise control. And then …

Freak Foot Injury Cuts 2024 Short

Royals fielded a fourth-quarter kickoff in an October game vs. New Mexico, took an awkward low hit from a tackler, and hobbled off.

That moment turned out to be his last on a college football field. ESPN confirmed the injury was to his right foot.

So, how would this impact the senior’s draft stock?

Royals Overcomes Injury to Show NFL Athleticism

Here’s the positive: Royals went to the Scouting Combine and posted an impressive 9.23 Relative Athletic Score.

At his pro day, however, Royals stopped short of saying the foot is fully healthy.

“There’s still a few lingering pains, but other than that it’s good,” he admitted via Herald Journal News.

We’ll monitor his health moving forward. But we're not close enough to the season to start worrying about 2025 impact now.

Jalen Royals Highlights

Games watched: Boise State (2024), New Mexico (2024), Robert Morris (2024)

A Diontae Johnson Clone (Minus the Attitude)?

Royals compared himself to Diontae Johnson at the Senior Bowl.

“I watch a lot of Diontae Johnson,” Royals said. “He was a small-school guy too … We have a lot in common from a size perspective. He’s a good receiver with a quick release. I think we have some similar qualities."

The tape bears that out.

Consider this first clip vs. UNLV (2024). Royals find a hole in the zone, and then dodges two oncoming defenders with impressive burst.

Royals went off for 155 yards in that one. He reached 110 yards in each of his final four healthy games.

Deebo Samuel Lite After the Catch

Per Pro Football Focus, Royals has totaled 32 career targets behind the line of scrimmage. That comes out to 17.3% of his total targets.

This next clip shows why Utah State chose to feed him …

His 26.4% forced missed tackle rate ranks among the best in this class – and just behind Travis Hunter's mark. Royals added a strong 7.9 yards after catch per reception.

An elusive skill set suggests more quick-hitters -- and PPR upside -- in the NFL.

Can He Beat Defenders Downfield?

NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein writes that Royals’ “early vertical push fails to concern defenders.”

Perhaps he doesn’t play quite up to his 4.42-second 40 time. But the hands and body control he displayed in college send positive signals for his development.

Here’s perhaps the best example, as Royals adjusts to an underthrown (and contested) deep ball.

For his career, Royals caught an excellent 64.1% of his contested targets, per PFF. 

His drop rate? A worry-free 6.7%.

Jalen Royals Team Fit: Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys march toward the draft with CeeDee Lamb ... and not much else at WR. 

The depth chart includes:

• Jalen Tolbert
• Jonathan Mingo
• Jalen Brooks
• KaVontae Turpin
• Ryan Flournoy
• Parris Campbell
• Seth Williams
• Kelvin Harmon
• Jalen Cropper

There’s not a clear WR2 in that bunch. Royals could supply that presence – and work his way up the dynasty ranks alongside Dak Prescott.

Dynasty Value Conclusion: BUY Stock in Royals

Let’s begin with this nugget from NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah.

“There's a lot of love for Jalen Royals' game ... [a] Day 2 guy,” Jeremiah said from the Combine.

Those words hold weight because of Jeremiah's connections within the league, as a former NFL team scout.

Round 2-3 draft capital would lay the foundation for potential opportunity as early as Year 1. Royals’ polished route running and sticky hands also suggest he could make an early fantasy impact.

He’s our pre-draft WR9, but there’s room to rise with a favorable landing spot.

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