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Once the 2026 NFL Draft concludes, teams are looking forward to rookie minicamp to evaluate where their respective draft classes stand, while also taking a look at some invitees to see if they can make the training camp roster.
But one NFL executive shed light on how college football’s current landscape has affected the draft, as name, image and likeness (NIL) agreements create a key business decision for prospects.
In the world of NIL, college athletes are able to enter into marquee deals for financial gain while pursuing their dreams of becoming professionals. As a result, some players who may be borderline prospects, or those who simply want to increase their draft stock and have more years of college eligibility, choose to stay in school without missing out on a salary that the NFL can offer.
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The Las Vegas Raiders’ first overall draft card is displayed during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 23, 2026. (Émilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Kansas City Chiefs vice president of player personnel Ryne Nutt was asked by a reporter during his availability Monday after the draft about how that has changed due to NIL at the college level.
“It’s not a bad thing that they stay in college, is it?” Nutt began his response. “It gives them more time to develop (and) more time to mature. But what we’re seeing is they’re coming out of college maybe with more injuries, or just more wear and tear, more load.”
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Nutt understands that these athletes are “making business decisions” as they try to increase their draft stock.
“Now they’re all doing their homework and the schools are doing a really good job of reaching out and giving these kids an idea of where they’re going to go,” he added.
A general view of the draft tent is seen before the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 23, 2026. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
But Nutt’s response shows what NFL teams are thinking since it’s an obvious take on the situation: players are putting another year of football on their bodies in college rather than in the pros. In turn, NFL teams must take this into account in their analysis of prospects in all rounds.
“They take all that information into consideration, and from that we don’t care what they do,” Nutt said of the prospects. “None of us are putting pressure on any of these players to leave or stay, it’s what’s in their best interest and some of these guys, it’s in their best interest to stay and some of them maybe should have left. But either way, when you’re paid that kind of money, I can see how difficult it is for these kids to make those decisions.”
To give an idea of the type of money prospects would get if drafted in day three, or rounds four through seven, the 101st pick in this year’s draft — Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jermod McCoy — is projected to earn $5.549 million for his draft spot over four years. That comes out to $1.388 million per year before a possible second contract.
LSU’s Mansoor Delane poses for a photo after being selected sixth overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 23, 2026. (Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)
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But if a player thinks he could be a second-day pick, let alone a first-round selection, a rookie contract could more than double that $5.549 million mark, which is why it’s a clear business decision for every player.
Of course, nothing is guaranteed either. The risk of playing football is always present, regardless of the professional or college level. However, the talent pool has dwindled with each draft as potential prospects prefer to stay in school and collect money through their NIL contracts.
