Why aren’t more NFL second-round picks signed?

The summer months continue to beat on, and NFL teams are inching closer to training camp.

Rookies from one team have already reported for camp. The Los Angeles Chargers were the first team to open camp on July 12 with their rookies reporting for action.

It’s a league-wide trend for the rookies to report earlier than veterans for training camp. Twenty-two of the 32 NFL teams have their rookies report early to get extra time to learn the system ahead of their first NFL campaign.

But almost one whole group of rookies won’t be reporting for training camp as they have yet to sign their deals: Round 2 picks.

Only two of the players selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft have signed their rookie contracts. The rest are still unsigned at time of publishing.

That’s a pretty high-profile group of players that includes the likes of high-profile offensive talent like quarterback Tyler Shough (New Orleans Saints), running back TreVeyon Henderson (New England Patriots) and wide receiver Luther Burden III (Chicago Bears).

So why haven’t they reported to camp? Here’s what you need to know.

Why second-round rookies haven’t signed contracts

The key may lie in the two Round 2 picks who have signed their deals.

The No. 33 overall pick, linebacker Carson Schwesinger, signed his deal with the Cleveland Browns in early May. The Houston Texans selected wide receiver Jayden Higgins one pick later and signed his deal around the same time.

Both signed fully-guaranteed contracts – a first for second-round picks in the latest collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

Because they signed those deals within weeks after the 2025 NFL Draft, they may have set a new standard that other players from Round 2 are looking to capitalize on.

Unsigned second-round picks

Of the 32 players selected in Round 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, 30 have yet to sign their deals. Here’s the full list in order of when they were selected: