The Detroit Lions announced on Thursday that they have signed second-round pick Sam LaPorta. The rookie tight end becomes the sixth Lions draft pick under contract, with just two—first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs and second-round pick Brian Branch—remaining unsigned.
LaPorta’s signing is notable because the NFL is currently undergoing some extra negotiations with second-round picks. While the newest CBA has made most rookie signings a formality, this year, second-round picks, in particular, have been pushing for more guarantees in their contracts that have become the norm for top-20 draft picks.
This was all expedited by the historic deal that Seahawks second-round pick Derick Hall (Pick 37) signed just a few weeks ago:
As the NFLPA pushes for guarantees for 2nd-round picks, Seattle’s @derick_hall9 just signed his rookie contract, which will pay a whopping 85% of his signing bonus before training camp plus a $100K guarantee in year 4 — both firsts for a 2nd-rounder.