Falling in the NFL Draft can cost players millions — here's the full 2026 pay breakdown

The No. 1 pick earns more than $57 million over four years; dropping out of the first round entirely costs a player roughly $40 million in guaranteed money

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Fernando Mendoza, selected first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft, is in line for a four-year, $57.3 million contract with a $38.1 million signing bonus, according to Sportico. The first four picks will all sign deals worth more than $50 million.

The NFL's rookie wage scale assigns a set salary to each draft slot,........

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