Surprising Chiefs rookie gets spotlight in event built for future NFL stars

Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals is heading to Los Angeles. The team's fourth-round pick out of Utah State has been invited to participate in this season's NFLPA Rookie Premiere, an exclusive "business immersion" event for some of the league’s most marketable draftees.

The annual NFLPA Rookie Premiere gathers together first-year players after every draft to provide them with considerable brand exposure and marketing opportunities.

This year, 42 rookies from the 2025 NFL Draft were chosen by the Player's Association, including Royals. He joins a select group of prospects chosen based in part on their draft status, college production and future marketability. Companies like EA Sports, Oakley, FedEx, Sony, Pepsi, Proctor & Gamble and many more are linked to the event, giving someone like Royals an incredible step forward in finding his footing in the marketing world.

Jalen Royals is one of just 42 players invited to the NFLPA’s annual event .

Over the course of four days, from May 14-17, Royals and other top rookies will take part in autograph signings, photo shoots, jersey unveilings, and more. He’ll also attend business and branding workshops in the hopes of helping these rookies set a firm financial foundation going forward.

The selection of Royals for the event is an interesting one considering he was the fouth-round choice for the Chiefs. It shows both the favoritism for skill position players (over, say, defensive linemen) and the popularity of the Chiefs as an organization to have a fourth-round pick still given such preferential treatment.

That said, Royals deserves credit here as well given that he put up an incredible 21 touchdown catches over the last two seasons for the Aggies. The Chiefs did well to add him to their receiver room as both short-term depth and long-term potential.

Other players chosen for this year's event include Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, Chargers RB Omarion Hampton, Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, Titans QB Cam Ward, and more. Past participants for the Chiefs include wide receivers like Mecole Hardman, Rashee Rice, Skyy Moore, Xavier Worthy, and Cornell Powell. Clyde Edwards-Helaire was also invited in 2020.

While his on-field role in Kansas City is still to be determined, Royals is already being given some incredible opportunities before he's even found his footing at Arrowhead Stadium. While others were passed over—specifically Josh Simmons as the team's first-round pick—it's good to see someone on the Chiefs benefitting from such a weekend.