Before 2011, few draft picks signed before the Fourth of July. Now, most of them sign before Memorial Day.
This year, 179 of 259 draft picks had signed their contract as of Monday, May 22. That’s nearly 70 percent of all 2023 selections.
The highest percentage of signed picks comes from round seven, with 88 percent. The lowest is round two, at 18.75 percent -- only six of 32.
Fourteen of 31 first-round picks have signed. The highest selection under contract is Cardinals tackle Paris Johnson Jr., the sixth overall selection.
The 2011 CBA significantly streamlined the process of negotiating rookie deals. Also, more teams are willing to sign their draft picks before they report for voluntary offseason deals.
