There’s nothing more deflating for a college prospect on the brink of NFL stardom than an injury when your draft stock is on the rise. In the long run, it has little to do with their trajectory once they actually get to the NFL — just the sting of their own pride when they drop out of the first round.
For NFL teams, that can mean some incredible value on players past the first round. Think about a player like Seattle Seahawks All-Pro wide receiver DK Metcalf, who only played 7 games as a junior at Ole Miss in 2018 and fell to the second round (No. 64 overall) in the 2019 NFL draft.
The Denver Broncos might luck into a player of that caliber in the 2025 NFL draft, with PFF projecting the franchise to select Utah State wide receiver Jalen Royals in the third round (No. 84 overall) in its latest mock draft.
From PFF: “Royals missed the final five games of 2024 with a foot injury but still competed at Senior Bowl week despite not being fully healthy. Even in a shortened season, he remained highly productive, hauling in 58 receptions in just seven games and generating 440 of his 853 yards after the catch.”
From Junior College to 2-Time All-MWC Selection
Royals, 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, spent one season at Georgia Military College — a junior college — before playing the last 3 seasons at Utah State, where he was a 2-time All-Mountain West Conference selection.
NFL scouts got Royals on their radars in 2023 with one of the best individual seasons for a Utah State player in school history, when he had 68 receptions for 1,023 yards and 15 touchdowns in just 12 games. Despite his foot injury in 2024 and playing in just 7 games, he still put up big numbers with the 853 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns.
“Jalen Royals is a dynamic play-making wide receiver with a well-proportioned NFL frame,” Bleacher Report’s Dame Parson wrote. “Royals is a good and precise route runner with short-area quickness that puts pressure on cornerbacks. He generates separation with suddenness out of his breaks against man coverage. Facing soft press or off coverage, Royals’ foot quickness puts defenders in conflict and tests their reaction time. He attacks defenders’ airspace before using sudden movements to break past or away from them.”
Royals could be valuable to the Broncos in another way — third-year wide receiver Marvin Mims is already a 2-time NFL All-Pro and 2-time Pro Bowl return specialist but will likely be a featured part of the offense in 2025. Royals could step into Mims’ role on kickoff and punt returns as a rookie.
Broncos Have Several WRs Who Could Ascend
While the Broncos only have one proven wide receiver commodity and could likely add a tight end as early as the first round in the 2025 NFL draft, there’s a group of young pass catchers behind veteran Courtland Sutton who could have breakout seasons.
Mims might have the highest upside with 30 receptions for 503 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2024. There’s also 2024 seventh round pick Devaughn Vele, 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, who had 41 reception for 475 yards and 3 touchdowns as a 26-year-old rookie.
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