The 2026 NFL Draft keeps going on Saturday afternoon! Here is a breakdown of how much money all of the sixth-round picks will make in their rookie season and how those rookie contracts work.

How do NFL rookie salaries work?

According to the 2020 NFL CBA, every rookie draft pick is guaranteed a four-year contract from the team that picks them. For first-round picks, there is a fifth-year team option as well. The value of those contracts is entirely based on where the player is selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. There is no bargaining room for players or teams to adjust those values once a player is selected. Based on the CBA, the rookie wage for players taken in the 2026 NFL Draft is $885,000. However, that only applies to a player’s actual base salary. The big money comes from the signing bonus, which is entirely based on where you are drafted.

There is a pay scale that ranges all the way from the No. 1 overall pick to the No. 248 pick, which gets you more money by being even just one pick higher on the draft board. Only for the final 10 picks in the NFL Draft, No. 248 through “Mr. Irrelevant” No. 257, are the rookie contracts worth the same value. There is no room to renegotiate contracts until after a player’s third season. So whether you win a Super Bowl in your rookie season or don’t see the field for two years, your contract stays put for at least three years.

How much do sixth-round picks make in the NFL?

The sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft takes place on Saturday afternoon. The first pick of the sixth round will be the 182nd pick, currently held by the Bills. The final pick of the sixth round will be the 216th pick, which will be made by the Steelers, barring a trade. There will be 35 picks made in this sixth round due to compensatory picks being given out.

The total contract value for the player taken 182nd is $4,565,698. The 216th pick, or the final pick of the sixth round, has a contract value worth $4,440,874. So, there is little difference in contract value between being the first pick of the sixth round or the final pick of the sixth round.

For a full list of the exact contract values assigned to each draft pick, check out the list on Spotrac.