University of Louisville junior offensive lineman, Mekhi Becton, was selected by the NY Jets in the 2020 NFL draft. He was the 11th player selected in the draft and the third offensive lineman selected.
So what will his rookie deal look like when he signs?
The average contract for the 11th draft pick between 2015 and 2019 was $15.1 million. Last year, Jonah Williams was the 11th pick in the draft. Williams was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals and signed a four-year, $17.6 million contract, including a $10.8 million signing bonus. First-round picks typically receive four-year contracts that include a fifth-year team option.
Becton is expected to sign a rookie contract for four years and $18.4 million. The deal is estimated to come with an $11 million signing bonus.
Players will most likely retain 100% of their signing bonuses even if the season is shortened because of coronavirus concerns. Only the base salaries would be changed and that would be based on the number of games canceled.
“NFL rookie contracts are determined by a complex formula that considers the league’s 2020 “rookie compensation pool” of $1.4 billion across all teams, as well as the $198 million per-team salary cap. The rookie pool is divided among the 32 NFL teams based on the clubs’ number of picks and where they fall within the draft. This year, the contracts for first-round picks range from $10.8 million for No. 32 pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire to the $36 million due Burrow.” – from Forbes.com
There stats of Becton’s expected contract implications for the Jets below are from overthecap.com,
- 2020 Salary Cap Charge: $610,000
- % of 2020 Team Cap: 0.29%
- 2020 Cash Payout: $0
- % of 2020 Team Cash Spending: 0.00%
- 2020 Cash to Cap Ratio: 0.00
- Total Contract Value: $18,446,050
- Annual Contract Value: $4,611,513
- Position Ranking: 26/99 at LT
- Fully Guaranteed Money: $0
- Entry: 2020 Draft, Round 1, #11 overall (Jets)
