The Packers have all their draft picks signed in time for the start of camp July 23. Second-rounder Anthony Belton was the last to agree to terms.
A logjam of stalled negotiations with NFL second-round draft picks cleared in time for the Green Bay Packers to have all eight of the players they selected signed in time for training camp.
After the Packerssigned first-round pick Matthew Golden on May 19, the lone drafted player still unsigned was second-round pick Anthony Belton. Nearly two months passed after Golden’s signing before the Packers reached an agreement with their only unsigned draft pick.
Rookie holdouts have been rare in the NFL since the it instituted a rookie wage scale in 2011, but when the Houston Texans guaranteed the entire amount of second-round receiver Jayden Higgins’ contract, it broke a general policy of teams giving fully guaranteed deals only to first-round picks.
As a result, more players in the second round sought fully guaranteed contracts, which led to stalled negotiations as agents with clients near the top of the round sought full guarantees. Those players selected later in the round waited to see how much the players at the top were able to get before they got serious about signing deals.
Belton, the 22nd pick in the round and 54th overall, finally reached agreement on his deal July 18, five days before the Packers are scheduled to take the field for their first training camp practice.
Belton signed a four-year, $8.02 million deal, $5.85 million of which is guaranteed, according to a source with access to NFL salary information. In addition to a $2.47 million signing bonus, the Packers guaranteed $3.38 million of his base salaries over the length of the contract. Golden was the only Packers draft pick to have his entire contract guaranteed.
The Packers spent all their allotted $10.444 million salary cap pool on their eight picks and doled out $574,000 in signing bonuses to their 12 undrafted free agents. The money paid to the undrafted rookies does not count against the rookie salary cap pool but does count against the Packers’ overall salary cap.
Signing undrafted rookies is a lot like college recruiting. Players used to accept nominal bonuses to join a team after the draft was completed, but competition among the clubs has risen.
Georgia nose tackle Nazir Stackhouse received $165,000 in guaranteed money, the most of any undrafted player the Packers signed. His total guarantee wound up higher than both Packers’ seventh-round picks, an indication of how much competition there was to sign him.
Safety Johnathan Baldwin, offensive lineman Tyler Cooper and linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson each received $115,000 in guaranteed money, which was also more than what the seventh-rounders received.
The following are the contract numbers for the Packers' eight draft picks and the guaranteed money paid to undrafted players:
1st round (23rd overall), Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Contract: Four years, $17,575,338
2025 salary cap number: $3,195,516
Signing bonus: $9,422,064
Total guaranteed money: $17,575,338
Base salaries: $840,000 in ’25, $1.005 million in ’26, $1.12 million in ’27 and $2.037 million in ’28. Fifth-year option in ’29.
2nd round (54), Anthony Belton, OT, North Carolina State
Contract: Four years, $8,016,826
2025 salary cap number: $1,457,605
Signing bonus: $2,470,420
Other guaranteed money: $3,377,855
3rd round (87) Savion Williams, WR, TCU
Contract: Four years, $6,292,454
2025 salary cap number: $1,144,082
Signing bonus: $1,216,328
Base salaries: $840,000 in ’25, $1,076,021 in ’26, $1,362,042 in ’27 and $1,648,063 in ’28.
4th round (124), Barryn Sorrell, DE, Texas
Contract: Four years, $5,141,852
2025 salary cap number: $1,075,463
Signing bonus: $941,852
Base salaries: Base salaries: $840,000 in ’25, $1.005 million in ’26, $1.12 million in ’27 and $1.235 million in ’28.
5th round (159), Collin Oliver, LB/DE, Oklahoma State
Contract: Four years, $4,604,084
2025 salary cap number: $941,021
Signing bonus: $404,084
Base salaries: $840,000 in ’25, $1.005 million in ’26, $1.12 million in ’27 and $1.235 million in ’28.
6th round (198), Warren Brinson, DT, Georgia
Contract: Four years, $4,426,384
2025 salary cap number: $896,596
Signing bonus: $226,384
Base salaries: $840,000 in ’25, $1.005 million in ’26, $1.12 million in ’27 and $1.235 million in ’28.
7th round (237), Micah Robinson, CB, Tulane
Contract: Four years, $4,313,840
2025 salary cap number: $868,460
Signing bonus: $113,840
Base salaries: $840,000 in ’25, $1.005 million in ’26, $1.12 million in ’27 and $1.235 million in ’28.
7th round (250), John Williams, G, Cincinnati
Contract: Four years, $4,301,672
2025 salary cap number: $865,418
Signing bonus: $101,672
Base salaries: $840,000 in ’25, $1.005 million in ’26, $1.12 million in ’27 and $1.235 million in ’28.
Undrafted rookies (guaranteed money only)
Nazir Stackhouse, DT: $165,000
Johnathan Baldwin, S: $115,000
Tyler Cooper, OL: $115,000
Jamon Dumas-Johnson, LB: $115,000
Amar Johnson, RB: $15,000
Jalen White, RB: $15,000
Kahzir (Buggs) Brown, S: $10,000
Tyron Herring, CB: $10,000
J.J. Lippe, OL: $10,000
Taylor Elgersma, QB: $3,000
Brant Banks, OL: $1,000
Sam Brown, WR: $0
This article originally appeared on Packers News: Packers have signed all eight draft picks before training camp starts
Category: Football
