NFL Draft pick salaries by round

It wasn't all that long ago that an NFL franchise had to take into account whether or not a player would be willing to sign with a particular team—or would even be financially reasonable when it came to contractual demands—before drafting a college prospect. NFL owners are certainly glad to have those days behind them.

These days, NFL rookies make a pre-set amount thanks to the slotted salary system paired with the annual NFL Draft that keeps costs controlled for the majority of players in the National Football League. That's due to changes in the collective bargaining agreement that came about in 2011.

While top picks in the draft still make a ton of money, the truth is that owners signed off on this system for a reason—and likely with a smile on their faces.

The first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, currently owned by the Chicago Bears, has a set payday of just over $38.5 million over his first four seasons in the NFL. The final pick of the first round, currently held by the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 32 overall, is set to make $12.1M over the same time frame.

From there, the totals fall in each round as part of a series of slotted amounts negotiated into the current collective bargaining agreement between the league and the NFL Players' Association.

For the sake of perspective, the first pick in each round earns the following:

• Round 1: $38.5 million (4 years)
• Round 2: $9.92 million
• Round 3: $6.03 million
• Round 4: $4.87 million
• Round 5: $4.39 million
• Round 6: $4.24 million
• Round 7: $4.14 million