Even though there hasn’t been much drama in rookie contract negotiations since the 2011 collective bargaining agreement was passed, there are always a few stragglers when it comes to getting rookie deals signed. As of the time of this writing, eight 2021 second-rounders (including the top six picks of the second round) are still unsigned, and 27 third-rounders have yet to put pen to paper.
An NFL executive (via Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post) offers a refresher on why this is the case. He reminds us that most second-round choices now have the second year of their rookie deals guaranteed, and those players are pushing for more guarantees in the third year of their contracts. So, if the first pick of the second round has 90% of his third year guaranteed, the second pick of the round might get an 85% guarantee, and so on. That helps explain why, after the top six selections of the round, there are only two unsigned draftees.
The third round is the opposite. The first 12 third-rounders (pick nos. 65-76) are signed, whereas only two players selected with the nos. 77-105 picks are under contract. That is because, starting in the third round, teams don’t have to pay their rookies the full 25% yearly salary increase the CBA permits. The players’ agents, of course, are negotiating to get their clients as close to that 25% figure as possible, but as the executive notes, most of these discussions are revolving around a few thousand dollars at this point.
Every player drafted from rounds 4-7 is under contract, and there are still six unsigned first-rounders. Here’s the list of second- and third-round players who are still waiting to sign on the dotted line with several weeks left until training camp opens.
Round 2
33) Jacksonville Jaguars: Tyson Campbell, CB (Georgia)
34) New York Jets: Elijah Moore, WR (Ole Miss)
35) Denver Broncos (from Falcons): Javonte Williams, RB (North Carolina)
36) Miami Dolphins (from Texans): Jevon Holland, S (Oregon)
37) Philadelphia Eagles: Landon Dickerson, C (Alabama)
38) New England Patriots (from Bengals): DT Christian Barmore (Alabama)
42) Miami Dolphins (from Giants): Liam Eichenberg, OT (Notre Dame)
45) Jacksonville Jaguars (from Vikings): Walker Little, OT (Stanford)
Round 3
77) Los Angeles Chargers: Josh Palmer, WR (Tennessee)
78) Minnesota Vikings: Chazz Surratt, LB (North Carolina)
79) Las Vegas Raiders (from Cardinals): Malcolm Koonce, DE (Buffalo)
80) Las Vegas Raiders: Divine Deablo, S (Virginia Tech)
81) Miami Dolphins: Hunter Long, TE (Boston College)
83) Carolina Panthers (from Bears): Tommy Tremble, TE (Notre Dame)
84) Dallas Cowboys (from Eagles via Colts): Chauncey Golston, DE (Iowa)
85) Green Bay Packers (from Titans): Amari Rodgers, WR (Clemson)
86) Minnesota Vikings (from Seahawks via Jets): Wyatt Davis, G (Ohio State)
87) Pittsburgh Steelers: Kendrick Green, C (Illinois)
88) San Francisco 49ers (from Rams): Trey Sermon, RB (Ohio State)
90) Minnesota Vikings (from Ravens): Patrick Jones II, DE (Pittsburgh)
91) Cleveland Browns (from Saints): Anthony Schwartz, WR (Auburn)
92) Tennessee Titans (from Packers): Monty Rice, LB (Georgia)
93) Buffalo Bills: Spencer Brown, OT (Northern Iowa)
94) Baltimore Ravens (from Chiefs): Ben Cleveland, G (Georgia)
95) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Robert Hainsey, OL (Notre Dame)
96) New England Patriots (compensatory pick): Ronnie Perkins, DE (Oklahoma)
97) Los Angeles Chargers (compensatory pick): Tre’ McKitty, TE (Georgia)
98) Denver Broncos (compensatory pick, from Saints): Quinn Meinerz, G (Wisconsin-Whitewater)
99) Dallas Cowboys (compensatory pick): Nahshon Wright, CB (Oregon State)
100) Tennessee Titans (compensatory pick): Elijah Molden, CB (Washington)
101) Detroit Lions (from Rams, compensatory pick): Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB (Syracuse)
102) San Francisco 49ers (compensatory pick): Ambry Thomas, CB (Michigan)
103) Los Angeles Rams (compensatory pick): Ernest Jones, LB (South Carolina)
104) Baltimore Ravens (compensatory pick): Brandon Stephens, CB (SMU)
105) Denver Broncos (compensatory pick, from Saints), Baron Browning, LB (Ohio State)