Who Should I Start? Jalen Royals or Jaylin Noel

Saturday, May 17, 1:19 PM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jalen Royals appears to have a chance to be involved in the offense during the 2025-26 campaign sooner rather than later. "He can make an impact immediately," said Greg Castillo, Kansas City's western regional scout. "He can separate with the short route and he can separate with the intermediate route. He's got a ton of versatility. The 2025 No. 133 overall pick had a quality collegiate career, totaling 21 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Utah State. He also averaged 15.2 yards per catch during that span. The Chiefs have an experienced wide receiver group, consisting of Rashee Rice (knee), Marquise Brown, Xavier Worthy, and JuJu Smith-Schuster. In addition, tight end Travis Kelce will return for another season. But considering nagging injuries were a theme for the receiving corps last season, Royals is someone who may have a shot to contribute earlier than anticipated. Although his redraft stock isn't high, he's someone dynasty managers can consider later in rookie drafts.

Friday, May 9, 3:52 PM

Per the team's transaction logs, the Houston Texans have signed third-round wide receiver Jaylin Noel to a four-year, $6.46 million deal. Noel was the No. 79 overall pick and the second of two Iowa State wideouts selected by the Texans, joining second-rounder and fellow Cyclone Jayden Higgins. With the news that WR Tank Dell (knee) will likely miss the 2025 season, the door is open for both pass catchers to compete for snaps and impact the field. Veteran wideout Christian Kirk does pose a threat and significant target competition. Particularly for Noel, who profiles more like Kirk, considering he operated out of the slot in college. However, the rookie bolsters much more juice than the veteran (4.39 40-yard dash) and should eventually make his way to the starting roster. He caught 80 balls for 1,194 yards last season (eight TDs) and is also a seasoned returner.