]

The Kansas City Chiefs were honored with one of the 12 most impressive steals of the final round.

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach received rave draft reviews again in 2025.

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has done it again, getting the KC organization onto early lists highlighting the top steals of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer published such a list on April 27, and fourth-round wide receiver Jalen Royals was identified as one of the 12 “best late-round steals” of 2025.

“The Chiefs, between Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, and Royals, have made it a point to surround big-armed Patrick Mahomes with speedy vertical threats,” Iyers wrote. “Royals qualifies as one with some reliable route-running to boost.”

Along with Brown, Worthy and Royals, Kansas City also flaunts two of the top yards after catch playmakers in the game in tight end Travis Kelce and returning star WR Rashee Rice. The rookie has even drawn some comparisons to the latter.

While addressing the media on April 28, Chiefs Director of Player Personnel/College Scouting Ryne Nutt noted that the front office saw strong similarities between Royals and Rice.

“First off, his game is very similar to Rashee’s,” Nutt began. Explaining: “[When] you watch [Royals], he lines up primarily on the left side — that’s how some offenses in college work, they want to go fast so they’ll have the receiver line up on the same side every time to do that.”

“When I say he’s like Rashee, [I mean that] he’s got big hands, strong hands, and he’s very good after the catch,” the KC executive went on. “The kid had what, seven 50-plus touchdowns in 2023. He was on pace in 2024 to kind of smash the 2023 production before he got injured.”

Athlon Sports analyst Doug Farrar also seconded this comparison on X.

Going one step further, Nutt relayed that the Chiefs look at speed, strength, run after catch ability and route-running when they scout wide receivers. He added that Royals checks a lot of these boxes, just like Rice did a couple of years ago.

Bill Barnwell: KC Chiefs should trade up in 2023 NFL Draft

Finally, Nutt confirmed that Royals mostly operated out of the slot in college, and that “the hope is” he’ll help step in and contribute in the event of a Rice suspension or setback

CBS Sports writer Pete Prisco graded each team’s draft performance on April 27, and the Chiefs earned one of the only three “A” grades that he awarded.

After referring to first-round offensive tackle Josh Simmons as KC’s “best pick,” Prisco also followed up on the rest of their 2025 draft.

“I really liked their draft,” he wrote. “Simmons will be a star. [Omarr] Norman-Lott can be really good. Third-round edge Ashton Gillotte was one of my favorite players in this draft and was on my Better-Than team. Third-round corner Nohl Williams and fourth-round receiver Jalen Royals will be nice additions and I liked seventh-round back Brashard Smith.”

It seems like this could be another slam-dunk class for Veach and Kansas City. Which is becoming a regular tradition most offseasons.

The Chiefs have developed into a consistent NFL powerhouse for multiple reasons — including Mahomes, head coach Andy Reid and his staff. But the other key has been Veach, his scouting team and this front office’s ability to identify and draft the right talent, which allows them to retool their roster every offseason without a major drop-off in quality.

There’s only one way to remain dominant in a league as competitive as the NFL, even if you find the QB and the head coach, and it’s that.

Michael Obermuller covers the NFL for Heavy.com, where he began writing in 2021. His areas of focus specialize on the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers, with expert knowledge on each based on years of coverage. An NYC area native and Quinnipiac graduate, his previous bylines include Heavy on Jets, FanDuel’s The Duel, King Fantasy Sports and Pro Football Mania. More about Michael Obermuller

Related Posts

Shocked: In less than 24 hours, Pittsburgh Steelers surprised fans by hastily signing a former Patriots mainstay Linebacker, adding a brand new Wide Receiver, coldly removing two young faces from the Practice squad, and shockingly stripping Kaleb Johnson of his right to return the ball after a fatal mistake in the loss, and receiving a double shock with the serious injury of mainstay Alex Highsmith and the prospect of Derrick Harmon suddenly being pushed onto the field – all like a chaotic “major surgery” right at the beginning of the season.

In the NFL, few franchises stir emotions as dramatically as the Pittsburgh Steelers, and within a single whirlwind day, the team has ignited a storm of headlines…

Breaking News: HEAD COACH MIKE TOMLIN SPEAKS OUT STRESSED ABOUT Rookie KALEB JOHNSON’S FUTURE AFTER HUGE MISTAKE WEEK 2 AGAINST SEAHAWKS – OFFICIALLY DEMOLITION FROM KICK-BACK DUTY

Under the bright lights of the NFL’s regular season, the spotlight often shines brightest on young players who are still trying to prove their worth. For Kaleb…

Breadking News: DENVER BRONCOS’ OBSESSION DONDREA TILLMAN BECOMES A SOCIAL MEDIA VILLAGE AFTER A CRITICAL LAST-SECOND PENALTY AGAINST COLTS – WHEN SPENCER SHRADER MISSED A 60-YARD GOAL THAT SEEMED TO GIVE THE BRONCOS A WIN, A WRONG DECISION AND A STUPID FALL FROM TILLMAN TURNED A MOMENT OF JOY INTO TRAGEDY, CREATING A CHANCE TO KICK BACK AND BURY DENVER’S HOPES RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE FANS’ EYES

Tin tức nóng hổi từ NFL đã khiến người hâm mộ Denver Broncos choáng váng và suy sụp, khi sự chú ý chuyển sang Dondrea Tillman sau…

Shocked: BAKER MAYFIELD STANDS UP TO SEND A WARNING TO THE NFC SOUTH AFTER BUCCANEERS START UP 2-0 – HIS REMARKS HAVE FANS BOTH EXCITED AND CONTROVERSIAL, SOMETIMES CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE VIEW THE BUCCANEERS THIS SEASON… BUT WHAT’S REALLY BEHIND HIS WORDS…?

Shocked reactions are spreading across the NFL as Baker Mayfield, quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, delivered a fiery warning to the entire NFC South after his…

Breadking News: THE DEFENSE OFFICIALLY BREAKS DOWN AS STAR KANCEY ENDED THE SEASON DUE TO INJURY RIGHT AFTER THE WIN AGAINST THE HOUSTON TEXANS, LEAVING A HUGE VOID THAT FORCED COACH TODD BOWLES TO RISK UP AND GIVE GREG GAINES AND ROUND 5 Rookie ELIJAH ROBERTS A CHANCE. FANS FEEL THE SEASON WILL COLLAPSE, SOME HOPE FOR AN UNEXPECTED MIRACLE, CREATING A WAVE OF FIERCE CONTROVERSY ON THE FUTURE OF THE BUCCANEERS.

Breaking news has sent shockwaves through the NFL as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially confirmed that star defensive player Kancey will miss the remainder of the season…

Breaking News: Larry Baer just made a shocking statement to the Giants and the NFL about the Charlie Kirk memorial – “I will be giving away free orange hats, engraved with the words – ‘Always remember Charlie Kirk’, this will start taking place at the next game against the Dodgers at Oracle Park…

The sports world was taken by surprise when Larry Baer, CEO of the San Francisco Giants, made an announcement that immediately sparked conversation throughout Major League Baseball…