Derrick Moore gets big benefit as Lions sign most of 2026 draft cass

While it’s not surprising at all that the Lions have gotten most of these deals done ahead of Organized Team Activities and minicamp, there is one development that is certainly noteworthy. Derrick Moore’s contract is fully guaranteed, according to Wilson.

This is a continuation of a league-wide trend that started last year at the top of the second round. While it has been customary for years for first-round picks to get their contract fully guaranteed, that has not been the case for any second-round picks until 2025. However the Texans broke the seal last year by giving receiver Jayden Higgins (Pick 34) a fully guaranteed deal. The Browns followed suit shortly thereafter, giving Carson Schwesinger (Pick 33) 100% guarantees.

Second-round picks then suddenly stopped signing rookie deals, hoping to capitalize on the new trend. When the dust finally settled into training camp, seven of the top eight picks in the second round landed fully guaranteed deals. Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, taken 40th overall last year, was the deepest pick to earn those honors.

Because Moore was taken 44th overall by the Lions this year, it appears the trend of the fully guaranteed second-round pick contracts is digging deeper and deeper into Day 2 of the NFL Draft. And that’s a pretty big deal considering third-round picks generally have no guarantees beyond their signing bonus.

So with most of the draft class under contract, there should be little drama this offseason with the Lions’ draft picks—as has been the case for several years now. There’s no reason for concern that Miller hasn’t signed yet, as his contract likely won’t have a lot of wiggle room to it, and it, too, will be fully guaranteed. For reference, the Lions’ 2025 first-round pick—Tyleik Williams—signed his contract on May 21.