“I Would’ve Loved Jalen Royals”: Patrick Mahomes’ Weapon Gets Approval from Bills Analyst as Elijah Moore Joins Josh Allen

The Bills went all-in on rebuilding their defense in the draft, using most of their picks to shore up the defensive line and secondary. On offense, they made only three additions—one of them a blocking tight end and another a wide receiver taken in the seventh round. Still, Buffalo hasn’t turned a blind eye to improving the weapons around Josh Allen. Their latest signing, Elijah Moore, is proof of that.

It seems the Bills have developed a taste for receivers from Cleveland. After acquiring Amari Cooper mid-season, they’ve now added Moore on a one-year deal worth up to $5 million. According to a Bills analyst, the team has landed a versatile receiver at a bargain—someone with the speed and experience to contribute on the perimeter.

Fans are also pleased with the move. The receiver room is shaping up well with names like Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, Joshua Palmer, and now Moore. Still, while the analyst is satisfied with the signing, he believes the Bills missed an opportunity in the draft to take a young receiver like Jalen Royals or Kyle Williams—raw but explosive talents with long-term upside.

“It is a largely boom or a bust situation. I feel very, very good about it. So, as much as I would have loved a Kyle Williams or as much as I would have loved a Jalen Royals, they are very much largely unproven commodities. Now, we have someone who can play, that has upside, who has experience.”

Unfortunately for the Bills, they failed to land Royals. Instead, their AFC rival, the Kansas City Chiefs, scooped him up with the 133rd overall pick, much to the delight of KC fans.

The Chiefs’ offense has lacked explosiveness since Tyreek Hill’s departure, and last season, outside of Travis Kelce and rookie Xavier Worthy, contributions were minimal. Big-name additions like DeAndre Hopkins and Hollywood Brown didn’t move the needle much.

Royals could help reignite that spark. He has the size, physical traits, and route-running versatility to thrive in the NFL, and he excels at finding space and adjusting routes, exactly the kind of receiver Patrick Mahomes can make magic with. Royals also led all FBS receivers in catches of 50+ yards over the past two seasons.

Back in Buffalo, though, the addition of Elijah Moore is still a solid move for a team in need of receiver help after losing Cooper and Mack Hollins. Moore is just 25 years old and already has four seasons of NFL experience. Though he has not lived up to his full potential, it’s worth noting that he has played with two of the most unstable QB situations in the league—the Jets and Browns.

Now, he gets a fresh start in a high-powered offense led by the reigning league MVP. Moore won’t be the WR1 right away, but he has the tools to emerge as a top option if he performs well in training camp and preseason. Last season, he posted 538 yards on 61 receptions with just one touchdown. With Allen under center, those numbers could take a big leap.