The Detroit Lions’ 2026 draft class has officially put pen to paper.
The team announced on Tuesday that all seven players selected in April’s NFL Draft have signed their rookie deals.
Offensive tackle Blake Miller, the No. 17 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, is the highest earner of the class, signing a four-year, $21.3 million deal with Detroit, which includes a fifth-year club option.
The figure is from Spotrac, a popular salary-cap website, which provides a table detailing the NFL’s rookie wage scale. From the first pick to the last, all drafted rookies are pre-assigned a contract value based on their draft slot. After being drafted, a player negotiates additional details with the team, such as guaranteed money and bonus structure, which is why players don’t instantly sign on the dotted line after being picked.
Most first-round picks have fully guaranteed contracts. Last offseason, guaranteed rookie deals began seeping into Round 2 players after the Houston Texans signed wide receiver Jayden Higgins, the No. 34 overall pick, to a fully guaranteed deal, resulting in every pick through New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (No. 40 overall) receiving similar terms. The holdup prevented Lions second-round pick Tate Ratledge from signing his rookie contract until July 18.
No such stalemate existed in Detroit this offseason, however. Lions edge defender Derrick Moore, taken No. 44 overall in the second round, already has reached an agreement with Detroit. According to KPRC’s Aaron Wilson, Moore’s four-year, $11.4 million contract is fully guaranteed.
The Lions also signed all nine of their undrafted rookie free agents.
Detroit Lions 2026 rookie class salaries
Round 1 (No. 17 overall): Blake Miller, OT, Clemson — Four years, $21.9 million (plus fifth-year option)
Round 2 (No. 44): Derrick Moore, Edge, Michigan — Four years, $11.4 million
Round 4 (No. 118): Jimmy Rolder, LB, Michigan — Four years, $5.4 million
Round 5 (No. 157): Keith Abney II, CB, Arizona State — Four years, $4.7 million
Round 5 (No. 168): Kendrick Law, WR, Kentucky — Four years, $4.7 million
Round 6 (No. 205): Skyler Gill-Howard, DT, Texas Tech — Four years, $4.5 million
Round 7 (No. 222): Tyre West, DL, Tennessee — Four years, $4.4 million
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
@nolanbianchi
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Lions sign all drafted rookies; see rookie contracts here
Reporting by Nolan Bianchi, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
