Three HBCU football players — Brandon Parker, Darius Leonard and Trenton Cannon — were taken during the seven rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Now that all the draft parties and celebrations are over, the business side of the newfound professional experience of the athletes begin.
The trio could, if they are part of the active roster, make a combined $13.7 million this season.
Their salaries are based on the NFL’s salary cap of $177.2 million and the rookie compensation pool for 2018 in a formula spelled out in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and its players association. That makes it possible to estimate the money allotted to each draft slot.
Leonard, the highest drafted HBCU player this year, taken with the 36th overall pick in the second round by the Indianapolis Colts, is expected to receive $7.2 million with a $3.3 million signing bonus, per spotrac.com.
Parker, who was drafted in the third round by the Oakland Raiders, has a contract valued at a little over $4 million, including a $1 million signing bonus.
Cannon, taken by the New York Jets in the sixth round, features a contract worth $2.5 million carrying a $139,000 signing bonus.
The website also details how much undrafted free agents could command, which is around $570,000 for 2018.
