49ers break the seal on second-round signees, as Alfred Collins’ contract may pave way for others to sign

Up until Wednesday night, just two of the 32 second-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft were under contract as rookies began reporting to training camps. However, a major domino seems to have fallen that could open the floodgates for those second rounders to put pen to paper.

Defensive tackle Alfred Collins, who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the No. 43 overall pick in the draft out of Texas, has agreed to his four-year, $10.3 million rookie deal, which includes $9 million in guaranteed money, per ESPN. Collins is the first second-round pick to concede a fully-guaranteed contract, which is the reason players drafted from picks No. 35 to No. 64 have yet to sign their deals, and he may even be viewed as somewhat of a hero to the other NFL franchises. 

In early May, the Houston Texans gave wide receiver Jayden Higgins, who was selected with the No. 34 overall pick, an unprecedented rookie deal by guaranteeing his full contract. Then, the Cleveland Browns followed suit by guaranteeing linebacker Carson Schwesinger, the No. 33 pick, his full rookie contract as well. This led the other second-round picks to begin fighting for fully-guaranteed contracts, with Los Angeles Chargers wideout Tre Harris even holding out of training camp.

While Collins’ decision to sign his mostly-guaranteed contract will likely lead other second-round picks to do the same, there will be some who continue to fight for more guaranteed money. Take quarterback Tyler Shough for example. As the new potential starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints following the retirement of Derek Carr, the Louisville product has been fighting behind the scenes for a fully-guaranteed rookie deal. 

Collins signing a rookie contract that guarantees 88% of his money is not a big concession compared to years past, but it’s a major development this year and should break the seal for other NFL teams to start getting their Day 2 picks under contract.