How Much Do Rookies Make?

The NFL Draft not only determines where the top rookies will play this season, but how much money they’ll make. Since the rookie wage scale was introduced a little over a decade ago, young players have had their salaries determined completely by where they are drafted.

Cam Newton was the first #1 pick to play unde the rookie wage scale and signed a 4-year, $22 million deal that was fully guarunteed. The year before Sam Bradford had signed the biggest rookie deal ever for six years and $78 million. This year’s top pick will get a four-year deal worth around $41 million including a signing bonus of $26 million. Compare that to Travon Walker’s $37 million deal last year.

All first round picks will sign four-year deals, with the team having an option to extend the deal to a fifth year. After the first pick the salaries will drop consistently and the 31st pick in the first round – currently Kansas City‘s pick – will be able to sign a deal worth around $12.75 million.

In the second round of the Draft, contracts will be worth between $6 million and $12 million. The first pick in the third round can sign a deal worth $6.25 million while the last pick in the third will have to settle for a $5.4 million deal.

Fourth rounders will get between $4.5 million and $5.4 million. Fifth rounders will all get more than $4 million and less than $5 million. The first pick in the sixth round will get $4.1 million and the last pick in the sixth (No. 217) will get $3.98 million. Slightly more than $3.925 million that Mr. Irrelevant, pick No. 259, will make.

You can check out the salary for each individual pick over at Spotrac, but this serves as a nice general guide if you don’t want to get into the nitty-gritty.