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It's widely known that being an NFL player is a major business. With the NFL Draft taking place in two days and salaries rising every year, let's take a look at former draftees that earned big in the league.
Read on to find out which players were selected in each draft round and went on to make the most money during their career.
NFL’s highest-earners drafted in each round of the draft
1) First round pick - Aaron Rodgers ($342M)
Aaron Rodgers entered the NFL after the Green Bay Packers selected him with their 24th overall pick in the first round of the 2005 draft. He inked a $7.7 million, five-year contract with the Packers at the NFL draft. Rodgers’ next contract was a six-year, $63.5 million deal that would last until 2016.
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The quarterback inked a new five-year contract extension with Green Bay midway through the existing one. He became the highest-paid NFL player in history in 2013, with his $110 million agreement. He committed to staying with the Packers by signing another $134 million contract in 2018.
Rodgers inked a new two-year, $75 million contract with the New York Jets ahead of the 2023 season. According to Spotrac, Rodgers has earned $342 million in his career, which is more than any first-round pick has ever earned in the league.
2) Second round pick - Drew Brees ($269M)
Drew Brees was a member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his 20-year NFL career.
The San Diego Chargers selected the quarterback with the 32nd overall slot in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He committed to the team for a four-year rookie deal. The deal was a $3.6 million contract, including a $1.84 million signing bonus.
Brees received $8 million from the Chargers during the 2005 season when they used the franchise tag on him because they were reluctant to give him a long-term deal.
Brees later inked a $60 million, six-year contract with the Saints. He had a successful tenure with them, recording an MVP-caliber campaign and driving the team to defeat the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.
In 2012, Brees received a significantly bigger contract — five years and $100 million — for his accomplishments. A $37 million signing bonus was included in the deal, with $60 million of the total amount guaranteed.
Brees earned $269 million from NFL contracts in his career, according to Spotrac. That remains the highest by a player selected in the second round in the history of the league.
3) Third round pick - Russell Wilson ($266M)
Russell Wilson was selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the 75th overall choice in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Shortly after being selected, he agreed a four-year, $2.9 million rookie contract.
Wilson inked a $87.6 million contract with the Seahawks in 2015, with a massive $61.5 million guaranteed. His basic pay increased steadily over the following few years, rising from $12.34 million in 2016 to $15.5 million in 2018. The Seahawks paid the dual-threat quarterback $17 million by 2019.
Wilson has played in the NFL for 12 years and is now with his third team. According to Spotrac, he has made $266 million in his career. That sum is more than any third-round selection in league history has ever received.
4) Fourth round pick - Kirk Cousins ($231M)
Kirk Cousins made a lot of money on three fully guaranteed contracts with the Minnesota Vikings after leaving the Washington Redskins. But he didn't make much on his rookie contract after being selected in the fourth round by them in 2012.
Cousins took advantage of free agency once more and signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024. Spotrac reports that he's the highest paid third-round pick in league history, with $231 million in total earnings.
5) Fifth round pick - Stefon Diggs ($107M)
Stefon Diggs was first selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Since being traded to the Buffalo Bills in 2020, he has been earning top cash in the league, and his massive contract extension in 2022 cemented his place among the top earners in the game.
According to Spotrac, Diggs inked a four-year, $96 million contract deal in 2022. Now with the Houston Texans, Diggs has earned $107 million in his career, more than any fifth-round pick in league history.
6) Sixth round pick - Tom Brady ($333M)
Although Tom Brady's NFL contracts didn't make him the highest earner in league history, the longevity of his career, records broken and titles won make him arguably the greatest player to ever play football.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion made $525 million over the course of his 23 seasons in the NFL, but only $333 million of that came from playing contracts; the remaining $220 million came from his off-field endeavors, according to Forbes.
Tom Brady is the highest-paid sixth-round draft pick of all time, with $333 million from NFL contracts.
7) Seventh round pick - Ryan Fitzpatrick ($82M)
Ryan Fitzpatrick announced his retirement from the league in June 2022 after 17 seasons.
He played for the St. Louis Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Football Team during his career, which made him a known journeyman.
Fitzpatrick also became the highest-earning former seventh-round pick in NFL history, with a total of $82 million earned from NFL contracts.
8) Undrafted Free Agent: Tony Romo ($127M)
Tony Romo was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys in 2003.
During the course of his 14-year career, he made $127.4, according to Spotrac. That works out to almost $9.1 million a season on average. Romo made more money during his career than any other undrafted free agent in league history.
