In less than a week, all 32 NFL teams will have reported for training camp. Even then, there could be quite a few rookie holdouts.
A total of 257 players were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, but 31 players remained unsigned going into Thursday. The problem for most teams is they haven’t been able to get their second-round pick under contract. Of the 32 players selected in that round, only three had signed their rookie deal heading into Thursday morning. However, the floodgates opened over the past three days with 22 signing their rookie deals over that span.
As things stand, eight players remain unsigned, which means eight players could still hold out.
With that in mind, let’s take a round-by-round look at the unsigned players and whether each player might be able to get a deal done before their team starts training camp.
Unsigned first-round picks (1)
- Bengals rookie report date: July 19
By now, you’ve probably heard about all the drama here. Things are getting contentious between Shemar Stewart and the Bengals. The team threw a curveball in their contract negotiations with him by adding new language to his deal that the Bengals didn’t use with their past two first-round picks. Stewart doesn’t want the language in there, the Bengals do, and now, the two sides are in a stalemate. Stewart skipped all of OTAs and although he showed up, he didn’t practice at mandatory minicamp. If we don’t see one side blink soon, it’s pretty much a guarantee that Stewart will hold out.
For the second straight year, there are 31 first-round draft picks signed by July 16, and for the second-straight year, the Bengals are the one team that has yet to get their first-rounder under contract.
Agent’s Take: Breaking down exactly why Bengals’ Shemar Stewart remains only unsigned 2025 first-round pick
Joel Corry
Unsigned second-round picks (7)
36th: RB Quinshon Judkins, Browns (Rookie report date: July 18)
47th: CB Will Johnson, Cardinals (Rookie report date: July 22)
48th: OT Aireontae Ersery, Texans (Rookie report date: July 22)
51st: LB Nic Scourton, Panthers (Rookie report date: July 21)
52nd: LB Oluwafemi Oladejo, Titans (Rookie report date: July 22)
53rd: CB Benjamin Morrison, Buccaneers (Rookie report date: July 21)
64th: Andrew Mukuba, Eagles (Rookie report date: July 22)
Signed second-round picks (25)
33rd: LB Carson Schwesinger, Browns
34th: WR Jayden Higgins, Texans
35th: S Nick Emmanwori, Seahawks
37th: G Jonah Savaiinaea, Miami Dolphins
38th: RB TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots
39th: WR Luther Burden III, Bears
40th: QB Tyler Shough, Saints
41st: DT T.J. Sanders, Bills
42nd: TE Mason Taylor, Jets
43rd: DT Alfred Collins, 49ers
44th: DE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Cowboys
45th: DE J.T. Tuimoloau, Colts
46th: TE Terrance Ferguson, Rams
49th: LB Demetrius Knight Jr., Bengals
50th: TE Elijah Arroyo, Seahawks
54th: OT Anthony Belton, Packers
55th: WR Tre Harris, Chargers
56th: OT Ozzy Trapilo, Bears
57th: G Tate Ratledge, Lions
58th: WR Jack Bech, Raiders
59th: LB Mike Green, Ravens
60th RB RJ Harvey, Broncos
61st: Trey Amos, Commanders
62nd: Shemar Turner, Bears
63rd: Omarr Norman-Lott, Chiefs
So, what’s causing the second-round hold up? Former NFL agent Joel Corry answered this question last month, and it seems like a good time to go over it again. Essentially, the hold up has to do with contract guarantees. The Texans decided to make history with the contract they gave Jayden Higgins, and that decision threw a wrench into the entire second round.
- Texans make history with Jayden Higgins’ contract. Every player selected in the first round gets a fully guaranteed rookie contract, but that’s not the case with players taken in the second round. Well, it wasn’t until this year. When Higgins signed his deal on May 8, he became the first second-round pick in NFL history to get a fully guaranteed rookie deal, and he wasn’t even the first pick of the second round. He was the second pick of the round at 34th overall.
- Browns hand out the same deal. Higgins’ deal with the Texans put the Browns in a spot where they had to give a fully guaranteed contract to Carson Schwesinger, who was the first pick in the second round (33rd overall). The linebacker ended up getting a fully guaranteed deal, and in what was probably not a coincidence, he got it one day after Higgins officially signed his contract. In 2024, the first pick of the second round (Keon Coleman) only got 95.7% of his contract guaranteed, but Schwesinger got 100%.
- Savaiinaea, Burden makes history: Dolphins guard Jonah Savaiinaea and Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III were the first players at their draft positions to receive fully-guaranteed contracts.
- Tyler Shough makes things complicated: The Saints quarterback was taken with the 40th overall pick, and he wanted a fully guaranteed deal since he’s likely going to be the team’s starting quarterback this year. This started a domino effect of second-round picks who, like Shough, may also received fully guaranteed deals, specifically for the players taken between the 35th and 39th picks. One exception will likely be Browns running back Quinshon Judkins, the 36th overall pick, who was arrested on July 12 on a troubling domestic violence charge. Judkins could face a suspension from the NFL and didn’t report for training camp with the rest of the Browns’ rookies on Friday.
Shough did reportedly get his coveted, fully guaranteed deal on Saturday, which includes a roster bonus structure not featured in any first-round deals. That will allow Shough to receive the majority of his compensation each year during the first week of training camp.
