It was a return to busine s as usual last year with the timing of rookie contracts after the pace of signings slowed considerably in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic altering the offseason schedule. There wasn't the same urgency by teams in 2020 without rookie minicamps being held at team facilities during the first two weekends following the and the cancellation of the seven week in-person rookie development program held afterwards.Ordinarily, at least a quarter of the draftees sign contracts within two weeks of the draft's completion. The removal of the COVID-19 protocols implemented in 2020 ensures normalcy will continue this year.Here's a look at the deals a select group of first round picks are expected to sign. An explanation of how the rookie wage scale operates as well as a discu sion highlighting important considerations or i sues relating to the first-round contracts follows.PickTeam2022 Salary Cap NumberSigning Bonus4 Year Total1$6,795,022 $24,360,088$37,372,621 2$6,493,343 $23,153,372$35,717, Kameron McGusty Jersey 386 3Derek Stingley, Jr.$6,301,366 $22,385,464$34,657,513 4$6,081,963 $21,507,852$33,450,797 5$5,698,007 $19,972,028$31,339,038 6$5,012,373 $17,229,492$27,568,051 7Giants$4,463,865 $15,035,460$24,551,257 8$3,915,358 $12,841,432$21,534,469 9$3,887,932 $12,731,728$21,383,626 10Jets$3,737,092 $12,128,368$20,554,006 11$3,503,977 $11,195,908$19,271,873 12Lions$3,174,871 $9,879,484$17,461,790 13$3,092,596 $9,550,384$17,009,278 14$2,955,470 $9,001,880$16,255,085 20$2,557,801 $7,411,204$14,067,905 22$2,516,662 $7,246,648$13,841,641 Andre Johnson Jersey 28Packers$2,338,397 $6,533,588$12,861,183 32$2,089,846 $5,539,384$11,494,153 The rookie wage scale is e sentially a salary cap within the overall salary cap. The increases in rookie salaries from one draft cla s to another are primarily tied to growth of the salary cap. Signing bonuses are going up one percent for the second straight year despite a $25.7 million increase in the salary cap. This can be attributed to the and NFLPA agreeing in 2020 to borrow money from future rookie wage scales to keep 2021 rookie deals from decreasing because of the 2020 revenue shortfall caused by COVID-19. There's a league wide limit on the total amount of compensation for rookies with specific salary parameters for each draft slot. Teams have maximum and minimum amounts that can be spent on their picks based on draft position.All contracts for draft choices are four years. Each pick in the draft has a salary floor and ceiling in the first year and over the four years of the contract. There are very few negotiable items with rookie contracts anymore. The salary components of a deal are restricted to signing bonus, base salary, roster bonus, reporting bonus, workout bonus and select incentives. The type of salary escalators and incentives Braxton Berrios Jersey that used to be responsible for salaries skyrocketing at the top of draft are prohibited under the rookie wage scale. A majority of picks only have signing bonus and base salaries in their deals.An extremely important aspect of these deals is the first year salary cap number (also known as the rookie pool number) because it helps determine the overall value of a contract. The first year cap number or rookie pool number consists of the player's prorated amount of signing bonus and the rookie minimum base salary, which is $705,000 in 2022. The maximum annual increase in each of the four years of a deal is 25% of the first year cap number. To illustrate this concept, 2021 third overall pick cap numbers were limited to a $1,550,239 increase in each year of his deal because his first year cap number was $6,200,956. Since all of these deals have minimum base salaries in the first year, the remainder of the contract is derived within these constraints.Draft pick contracts can't be renegotiated until the conclusion of a player's third NFL regular season. This means the earliest Lance's deal can be redone is in January 2024.Teams have an option for a fifth year with first round picks that must be exercised after the third year of the deal. The period for exercising fifth year options begins after a player's third NFL regular season ends (January 10, 2022 with the 2019 first round picks). These options must be picked up prior to May 3. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement changed how fifth year options operate. The fifth year salary is fully guaranteed when the option is exercised. A player's fourth year base salary becomes fully guaranteed when the option year is picked up if it wasn't already.The fifth year salaries are no longer strictly tied to where a player was drafted (i.e.; top 10 or outside of top 10). Performance dictates the option year salaries. With two or more Pro Bowl selections on the original ballot during the first three seasons of contracts, the fifth year salary is the franchise tender, which is average of the five highest salaries, for a player's position in the fourth year of his contract. For example, 2019 first overall pick fifth year option with the for 2023 is the 2022 franchise tender for quarterbacks, which Reggie Wayne Jersey is $29.703 million, because he was selected to the Pro Bowl on the original ballot in his second and third NFL seasons.One Pro Bowl selection on the original ballot during the first three seasons of deals puts the fifth year salary at the transition tender, which is average of the 10 highest salaries, for a player's position in the fourth year of his contract. Panthers edge rusher and Lions tight end have a 2023 fifth year salary at the 2022 transition tender for their respective positions. Participating in 75% of offensive or defensive plays, whichever is applicable, in two of the first three seasons of deals or an average of at least 50% playtime in each of their first three seasons sets the fifth year salary at the average of the third through twentieth highest salaries at a player's position. For first round picks that don't fall into any of these three categories, the fifth year salary is the average of the third through twenty-fifth highest salaries at a player's position.The Proven Performance Escalator which increases the fourth year salary for third through seventh round picks now also applies to second round picks and is more expansive with higher playtime thresholds.Third through seventh round picks still have a salary escalator for their fourth year based on participating in a minimum of 35% of the offensive or defensive plays, whichever is applicable, in two of the first three seasons of their deals or an average of Sean Taylor Jersey at least 35% playtime in their first three seasons. The salary equals the original draft round restricted free agent tender in the fourth year. The number is $2.54 million this year. With second round picks, the required playtime is 60% in order for the fourth year salary to be at this level. The fourth year salary for second through seventh round picks increases to the original draft round restricted free agent tender in that specific year plus $250,0