Two weeks to the day after the 2026 draft ended, 65 percent of the players selected have signed their first NFL deals.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, 166 of the 257 draft picks have agreed to terms as of Friday night.
Rounds five and seven have the highest percentage at 85, with 35 of 41 players signed in each round.
Twelve of 32 first-round picks have signed. Only seven have signed in round two; that’s where the rubber band is currently being stretched on the issue of fully-guaranteed deals.
Last year, the first 40 players (through the eighth pick in round two) received fully-guaranteed contracts. This year, the sixth player taken in round two (Raiders safety Treydan Stukes) and seventh (Browns receiver Denzel Boston) have signed fully-guaranteed deals.
All teams except the Lions, Rams, and Dolphins have signed at least some of their picks.
It used to be rare for many/any players to sign so quickly. Now, the trend is to get players under contract before they participate in rookie minicamp. Which, frankly, is how it should be for all of the players picked. If the teams want the players to behave like employees, they should make them employees.
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