Analyst: Commanders should have drafted Chiefs WR instead

The Washington Commanders bolstered their wide receiver depth by taking Jaylin Lane on Day 3 of the NFL Draft.

While the Commanders are excited about Lane, not everyone was thrilled with the pick.

Bleacher Report draft analyst Damian Parson believes that the Commanders should have taken Kansas City Chiefs selection Jalen Royals, who was taken five picks after Lane at No. 133 overall.

American team wide receiver Jalen Royals of Utah State and American team defensive back Mac McWilliams of UCF. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Should Commanders have selected Royals over Lane?

"The Commanders selected Jaylin Lane, who was the 27th-ranked wide receiver and No. 214 overall prospect on the B/R NFL Scouting Department's final big board. Five picks later, the Kansas City Chiefs took Jalen Royals, the sixth-ranked wideout and No. 49 overall prospect on the B/R big board," Parson wrote.

"Both Lane and Royals displayed their explosiveness and speed on film and at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. But outside of athletic ability, there aren't many similarities between the two pass-catchers.

"Lane is more of a straight-line buildup-speed receiver, but he lacks nuance and detail as a route-runner to create separation. Meanwhile, Royals is a well-proportioned receiver with great body control at the catch point. He plays with efficient footwork at the line of scrimmage and the hand usage to defeat press coverage, which he displayed at the Senior Bowl in January.

"Royals' skill set and upside would have been a better fit in Washington alongside star receiver Terry McLaurin, do-it-all weapon Samuel and second-year wideout Luke McCaffrey. Imagine 11 personnel (3 WRs, 1 TE and 1 RB) with Royals, Samuel, and McLaurin as interchangeable weapons.

"Daniels' deep passing accuracy and off-script playmaking elevated the Commanders' offense into a top-five scoring unit as a rookie. Adding Royals would have given this offense more bang for its buck and versatility for the future."

Lane and the Commanders will face Royals and the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in the 2025 season.

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