Trey Amos

33 Unsigned 2025 Draft Picks Remain

The NFL has hit a logjam and is collectively lagging far behind where it normally is at this point in the offseason. Two years ago, the league hit its last 30 unsigned players before July. Last year, teams were signing rookies as quickly as they were drafting them, and only 10 players remained unsigned by June 17. A couple intriguing situations have caused pens to go quiet in 2025, and as a result, here are the 33 remaining unsigned rookies of the 2025 NFL Draft:

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 4:

  • No. 107 (Jaguars): Jack Kiser (LB, Notre Dame)

In recent years, a trend has seen second-rounders lasting the longest, but what we’re seeing this year is unheard of. As rookies have been getting a bit of flexibility in negotiating structures of guarantees, getting deals done has become a waiting game of seeing what surrounding picks are getting for comparison. Last year, teams breezed through the issue, but 2025 has seen significantly increased troubles.

Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins set the tone by signing a fully guaranteed rookie contract, the first ever for a second-round selection. The next day, the Browns were essentially forced to do the same for Carson Schwesinger, picked one slot before Higgins. Shough, the Saints rookie quarterback, is seeking the same deal, hoping that his elevated status as a passer will help convince New Orleans to continue making history. Shough’s efforts have caused every pick between him and Higgins to stand pat, waiting to see if they get to ask for full guarantees from their teams, as well. This would be a drastic development, as last year’s 40th overall pick, Cooper DeJean, received only two fully guaranteed years with only partial guarantees in Year 3.

The biggest story outside of the second round is that of the standoff between Stewart and the Bengals. Stewart has issues with what he perceives as a lack of protection in Cincinnati’s offer that causes a contract default in any year to void any guarantees in all the following years. It’s a new precedent the team is trying to set, and Stewart seems intent on preventing them from doing so.

It will be interesting to see which standoff gets settled first: Stewart’s or Shough’s. The latter standoff ending would likely set off a domino reaction of second-round deals that would help a large number of teams close out their rookie classes. To this point, only four NFL teams have done so.

Commanders’ Jonathan Jones, Trey Amos To Compete For Starting CB Role

One starting spot amongst the Commanders’ perimeter corners is assured of with 2024 trade acquisition Marshon LattimoreMike Sainristil, meanwhile, will again handle first-team duties in 2025 but it remains to be seen if he will find himself on the outside or in the slot.

Determining where best to use the latter will of course take into account the competition for the other starting cornerback gig. On that note, Washington is in position to have a free agent addition and a rookie vying for that role. Jonathan Jones and Trey Amos offer different skillets, and The Athletic’s Ben Standig writes one of them should wind up in the starting lineup for 2025 (subscription required).

Jones inked a one-year deal in March to head to the nation’s capital. That pact – which has a base value of $5.5MM and includes $1MM in incentives – ended his nine-year run with the Patriots. The 31-year-old had expressed a willingness to remain in New England, but the team spent big on the open market to add Carlton Davis at the cornerback spot. Now, Jones will look to earn a starting spot on his second career team and help his 2026 market value along the way.

The former UDFA totaled 71 starts during his Patriots tenure, including 44 across the past three seasons. He would thud offer considerable experience to the Commanders if he were to handle first-team responsibilities, although at 5-9 Jones would likely be tasked with operating in the slot. That, in turn, would push Sainristil (who is himself 5-10) to the boundary, where he finished the 2024 season. That transition elevated Noah Igbinoghene to a starting spot on the inside, and having re-signed with Washington the former first-rounder is again a candidate to see playing time in 2025.

Amos was selected 61st overall in last month’s draft, making him the Commanders’ second choice of the event. The Ole Miss product dealt with a back injury leading up to the draft, something which is believed to have affected his stock to an extent. Given his size – 6-1, 195 pounds – and success as a press cover corner in college, Amos is suited to handle starting duties on the perimeter at the NFL level. As Standig notes, the ideal trio would see him operate right away on defense opposite Lattimore with Sainristil moving back to the slot.

Plenty of time remains for a Jones-Amos competition to take place, and its result will inform the Commanders’ decisions in the secondary ahead of the campaign. With nearly $23MM in cap space at the moment, Washington will be able to make a cornerback addition if one is deemed necessary.

Back Injury Affected Commanders CB Trey Amos’ Draft Stock

Cornerback represented a key need for the Commanders entering the draft. The team addressed it in the second round with the selection of Trey Amos, something which was possible since he remained on the board late into the order.

A partial reason that was the case was injury-related. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports a back ailment was uncovered during Amos’ pre-draft process. While the issue did not prove to be severe enough to precipitate a major fall down the board, one AFC executive informed Fowler it likely contributed to a slight slide. Amos heard his name called at pick No. 61.

After spending his first three seasons at Louisiana, Amos transferred to Alabama. In 2023, he played sparingly and was held without an interception. That campaign was followed by another transfer, this time within the SEC to Ole Miss. Amos enjoyed a strong final college season with new personal marks in tackles (50) and pass breakups (13) while notching the first three interceptions of his career.

The Commanders struggled to stop the run in 2024, the first season with Joe Whitt Jr. in place as defensive coordinator upon following Dan Quinn from Dallas to Washington. The team fared much better in comparison against the pass, but its cornerback setup has seen multiple changes. Benjamin St-Juste departed in free agency, while Michael Davis remains unsigned at this point. Jonathan Jones was added in March, and he is in position to handle a starting role during his debut campaign in the nation’s capital.

Amos is in the fold along with Jones, Noah Igbinoghene – who re-signed this offseason – midseason trade acquisition Marshon Lattimore and 2024 second-rounder Mike Sainristil. A healthy offseason will be key in Amos’ case as he looks to carve out a role for his rookie season and move past the ailment which he dealt with prior to the draft.