NFL Draft salary by pick: How much every 2026 rookie will make from Rounds 1-7

NFL Draft salary by pick: How much every 2026 rookie will make from Rounds 1-7 originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . As the NFL salary cap continues to skyrocket, so will the contracts for its rookies.

Since 2011, the league has used a rookie wage scale for the contracts of every player selected in the draft — depending on the slot a player is taken at, there are already specific salary parameters in place over a four-year deal. The higher a player is drafted, the more they will make over their rookie deal in total. In 2026, a rookie deal is expected to top $50 million in total value for the first time as the salary cap has continued climbing.

Plenty of money is on the table for each 2026 rookie, with estimates available for how much each pick will be making. Here's a breakdown of how much the rookies from the 2026 NFL Draft class are expected to make on their first deals. MORE 2026 NFL DRAFT: Complete 7-round mock draft Trade predictions for the first round Where will each quarterback go in 2026 draft?

How much do first-round draft picks make in NFL? There are 32 picks in the first round of the NFL Draft, and each slot carries a specific value for how much the drafted player's contract will be worth over four years — every drafted player receives a four-year deal. For players taken in the first round, they also get a team fifth-year option in their contract.