As of June 9, only two second-round picks from the 2025 NFL Draft have signed with their respective teams. Wide receiver Jayden Higgins signed his rookie deal with the Houston Texans on May 9; linebacker Carson Schwesinger followed suit with the Cleveland Browns three days later.
This means that offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea, whom the Miami Dolphins selected with the No. 37 overall pick, is among the 30 second-rounders who have yet to ink their rookie contracts.
At the center of the NFL's latest contract-related trend is the concept of signing bonuses, which is the only condition of a rookie's contract that can be negotiated. The total value of each contract, as well as its average annual value (AAV), is already set in stone, per the league's collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
The Texans and Browns, respectively, have since bucked previous trends by making Higgins' and Schwesinger's contracts fully guaranteed, marking the first instances of second-round picks being signed to such deals. As a result, unsigned second-rounders are likely leaning towards receiving more money upfront and are in active negotiations to be compensated similarly to Higgins and Schwesinger.
University of Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea (OL36) answers questions at a press conference during the 2025 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center.
University of Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea (OL36) answers questions at a press conference during the 2025 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center.
Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
The total value of Savaiinaea's rookie contract is $11,310,028, with an AAV of $2,827,507 across four seasons and a signing bonus of $4,865,477, according to contract data from Spotrac. Even though Savaiinaea has yet to put pen to paper, he has been present at the Dolphins' OTAs.
Before being drafted by the Dolphins, Savaiinaea played three seasons of college football at Arizona, where he started all 36 games he appeared in. He started 12 contests at right guard as a freshman in 2022, resulting in him picking up an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention and a spot on Pro Football Focus' All-True Freshman Team.
He subsequently earned another All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention nod in 2023 and an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention nod in 2024.