The NFL Players Association, reeling from criminal investigations into misused funds, resignations at the top and unapproved strip club expenditures, needed a win this summer. Players secured a windfall in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft through fully guaranteed contracts for seven players and a potential eighth pending Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins signing his deal. Judkins had misdemeanor battery charges related to domestic violence dropped earlier in the month and remained under an NFL investigation that delayed his negotiations. These deals made history for the second round, which had previously consisted entirely of partially guaranteed contracts. Total guarantees for the round reached $247.2 million, up from $185.7 million the previous year and about $21.8 million above the $225.4 million projection based on rookie pay scale bumps. Rookie contracts still involve negotiation points such as signing-bonus structure, the extent of guarantees and offset language. Thirty second-round picks remained unsigned as rookies reported for camp, with wide receiver Tre Harris viewed as a litmus test for future negotiations.
The NFL Players Association, reeling from criminal investigations into misused funds, resignations at the top and unapproved strip club expenditures, badly needed a win this summer. It found one -- in NFL ownership's couch cushions. The players received a substantial windfall in the second round of this year's NFL draft, benefiting from fully guaranteed contracts for seven players in the round -- and potentially an eighth once Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins (the 36th overall pick) signs his deal.
These signings made history for the second round, which had been entirely composed of partially guaranteed deals up to this point. The 2025 draft produced total guarantees of $247.2 million for that round, up from $185.7 million the previous year, per NFLPA figures. The 2025 projection was $225.4 million in guaranteed money based on annual rookie pay scale bumps and past percentage points of guarantees. This year's numbers surpassed that projection by around $21.8 million.
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