Three NFL teams best positioned to wait out fully-guaranteed contracts for their 2025 second-round draft picks
The NFL has a mass rookie contract problem for the first time in a long time. A whopping 30 out of 32 second-round draft choices across the NFL have yet to sign their rookie deals, thanks in part to the Houston Texans throwing everyone a curveball and conceding a fully-guaranteed contract to their first draft choice, […]
The NFL has a mass rookie contract problem for the first time in a long time.
A whopping 30 out of 32 second-round draft choices across the NFL have yet to sign their rookie deals, thanks in part to the Houston Texans throwing everyone a curveball and conceding a fully-guaranteed contract to their first draft choice, wide receiver Jayden Higgins. Fully-guaranteed contracts are the norm for the first round. But Higgins was drafted 34th overall, pushing fully guaranteed contracts into the second round for the first time ever.
As a result, everybody is hoping to further the trend. But the NFL's teams have resisted buying in on this movement full-force, with only the Cleveland Browns also handing out a second-round contract to the pick made between Higgins and the end of the first round. Which NFL teams are best aligned to offer resistance for the long-haul? Here are three NFL teams whose circumstances, depth chart, or otherwise should have them most convicted to wait and see how this trend plays out.
Three teams best positioned to hold firm on second-round fully-guaranteed contracts
New Orleans Saints – QB Tyler Shough (40th overall)
New Orleans has a few things going for them organizationally that could allow them to be patient, should they choose to be. Head coach Kellen Moore is in his first year with the franchise, which should (in theory) provide him with a runway to build up a roster that's been slowly leaking talent for years. The team also has quarterback Spencer Rattler in-house as a draft choice from the 2024 NFL Draft. Rattler played approximately 400 snaps for the Saints as a rookie — the team could easily justify seeing more of him early in 2025.
Shough has positional value in his back pocket to ask for fully-guaranteed terms but the Saints should be playing a longer game here. If the team performs as poorly as some think they could, the Saints would be in position to draft a top quarterback next year. If that situation comes to life, the Saints would likely appreciate having a little extra flexibility with their exit ramps on Shough's contract down the road without potentially being on the hook for future guarantees if they ultimately go in a different direction.
You don't make draft choices with failure in mind, but it's a nature of the business and good teams protect themselves from unnecessary risk in the margins.
Green Bay Packers – OL Anthony Belton (54th overall)
The sky is the limit for Anthony Belton, he's got a very good blend of size, power, and linear athleticism to him. But he's probably the seventh offensive lineman on Green Bay's depth chart to open the season at best. He's behind projected starters Rasheed Walker, Aaron Banks, Elgton Jenkins, Sean Rhyan, and Zach Tom — plus 2024 first-round draft choice Jordan Morgan.
With this much depth and positional flexibility to Green Bay's offensive line, things would have to go very sideways very fast for Belton to be a high-leverage piece on the line. Without the immediate pressure and stress to contribute, the Packers are well positioned to offer their "business as usual" contract without offering fully-guaranteed terms.
Cleveland Browns – RB Quinshon Judkins (36th overall)
Cleveland has already handed out one fully-guaranteed second-round contract this offseason after agreeing to terms with the 33rd overall pick, LB Carson Schwesinger. But Judkins was arrested over the weekend related to charges of battery and domestic violence. Due process will play itself out with the case and Judkins' conduct off the field — but right now it's a pretty tough sell to get on board with the Browns handing out a fully-guaranteed contract without more facts of his situation available.
From a football standpoint, the Browns have other talent to lean on in the backfield if a delayed signing becomes a reality — including another rookie running back in Dylan Sampson from Tennessee. The Browns drafted him in the fourth-round.
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