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NFL Draft salary by pick: How much every 2026 rookie will make from Rounds 1-7
TL;DR
The 2026 NFL Draft will see rookies earning significant salaries, with first-round picks expected to top $50 million in total value. The rookie wage scale determines salaries based on draft position.
Key points
- 2026 NFL Draft rookies will earn significant salaries
- First-round picks expected to top $50 million
- Rookie wage scale determines contract values
- Higher draft position leads to higher earnings
- Salary cap continues to rise, affecting contracts
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.
Throughout the draft, every pick will carry a slightly smaller overall contract value than the previous one. The figures are determined by the NFL's salary cap, which moved up to $301.2 million in 2026.
In 2026, the No. 1 overall pick is set to earn a total of $54,565,500 over four years, according to Spotrac, with an estimated $9,921,000 in their first season and $17,361,750 by the final season of the deal.
In contrast, the No. 32 overall pick, which ends the first round, is estimated to receive $16,168,614 over their four-year rookie deal, per Spotrac, with an estimated $2,939,748 in Year 1 and $5,144,559 by Year 4.
NFL salary by draft pick
Here's a look at the expected total contract value and Year 1 salary for the first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, according to Spotrac.
| Pick | Total Contract Value | Year 1 Salary |
| 1 | $54,565,500 | $9,921,000 |
| 2 | $52,103,630 | $9,473,387 |
| 3 | $50,537,014 | $9,188,548 |
| 4 | $48,746,540 | $8,863,007 |
| 5 | $45,613,238 | $8,293,316 |
| 6 | $40,018,084 | $7,276,015 |
| 7 | $35,541,950 | $6,462,173 |
| 8 | $31,065,822 | $5,648,331 |
| 9 | $30,841,760 | $5,607,593 |
| 10 | $29,611,072 | $5,383,831 |
| 11 | $27,708,728 | $5,037,950 |
| 12 |
NFL DRAFT RANKINGS 2026:QBs | WRs | TEs | EDGE | RBs
NFL rookie salary scale by round
Based on the NFL's rookie wage scale, there is a significant drop off from Round 1 to Round 2. Not only do Round 2 players, and any remaining draftees, not receive a team fifth-year option, but their expected total contract value drops by a few million dollars, and only first-round picks have their contracts fully guaranteed. Later-round picks typically have partially-guaranteed deals.
In 2026, the drop off in financial value from Pick No. 32 ($16,168,614) to Pick No. 33 ($12,937,488) is around $3.23 million over the life of the four-year deal, per Spotrac. Then, from Round 2 on, the pay scale steadily decreases until reaching $4,359,258 over the four-year deal, which is given to Picks No. 248 through No. 257 to close the draft.
Here's a look at how the four-year contract value and 2026 rookie salary varies for the first and last pick of each round in Rounds 2-7, per Spotrac:
- Round 2, Pick 33: $12,937,488 total value, $2,352,270 in 2026
- Round 2, Pick 64:$7,722,792 total value, $1,404,144 in 2026
- Round 3, Pick 65:$7,274,960 total value, $1,322,720 in 2026
- Round 3, Pick 100:$6,599,626 total value, $1,199,932 in 2026
- Round 4, Pick 101: $5,482,354 total value, $1,194,339 in 2026
- Round 4, Pick 140: $4,993,306 total value, $1,072,076 in 2026
- Round 5, Pick 141: $4,781,518 total value, $1,019,130 in 2026
- Round 5, Pick 181: $4,604,883 total value, $974,971 in 2026
- Round 6, Pick 182:$4,565,698 total value, $965,175 in 2026
- Round 6, Pick 216:$4,440,874 total value, $933,969 in 2026
- Round 7, Pick 217: $4,417,085 total value, $928,021 in 2026
- Round 7, Pick 257:$4,359,258 total value, $913,565 in 2026
NFL rookie minimum salary
The minimum base salary for an NFL rookie in 2026 is $885,000. That is an increase from $840,000 in 2025, per Spotrac.
Q&A
What is the expected salary for first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft?
First-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft are expected to earn over $50 million in total value for their rookie contracts.
How does the rookie wage scale affect NFL Draft salaries?
The rookie wage scale sets specific salary parameters for players based on their draft position, ensuring higher picks earn more over their four-year deals.
What will the salary cap impact rookie contracts in 2026?
The increasing NFL salary cap is expected to drive up rookie contracts, allowing for higher earnings than in previous years.
How much will 2026 NFL Draft rookies make compared to previous years?
Rookies in the 2026 NFL Draft will likely earn more than in previous years due to the rising salary cap and the established rookie wage scale.