Overview
- Fernando Mendoza, confirmed Thursday night as the Raiders’ top pick in Pittsburgh, is projected for about $57.3 million over four years with a $38.1 million signing bonus, per Sportico, under a fully guaranteed first-round deal.
- The first four selections are slated to clear $50 million, and every first-rounder signs a four-year contract with full guarantees and a team option for a fifth year under the NFL’s 2011 wage scale.
- Industry tallies put the 2026 first round near $900 million in total value, including about $542 million in signing bonuses, which rose roughly 18.5% from last year, according to Sportico.
- The NFL salary cap climbed to $301.2 million for 2026, lifting Spotrac’s slot projections across the board and putting the No. 32 pick near $16.2 million while a slide to No. 33 cuts about $3.2 million.
- Nominal figures set records, yet inflation-adjusted pre-2011 contracts such as Sam Bradford’s still exceed today’s payouts, underscoring how the wage scale reined in rookie pay even as the cap grew.