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With the 2026 NFL Draft concluded, teams are looking forward to rookie minicamp to evaluate where their respective draft classes stand, while taking a look at some invitees to see if they can make the training camp roster.
But one NFL executive shed some light on how the current college football landscape has affected the draft considering that name, image and likeness (NIL) agreements create a key trade decision for prospects.
In the world of NIL, college athletes can enter into brand deals for financial gain while pursuing their dreams of becoming professionals. As a result, some players who may be doubtful prospects, or those who simply want to increase their draft stock and have more years of college eligibility, are choosing to stay in school without missing out on a payday that the NFL can provide them.
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The Las Vegas Raiders’ first overall pick card is displayed during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 23, 2026. (Emilee 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 he has changed because of NIL at the college level.
“It’s not a bad thing for them to stay in college, right?” Nutt began his response. “It gives them more time to develop (and) more time to mature. But what we see is that maybe they come out of college with more injuries, or just more wear and tear, more burden.”
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Nutt understands that these athletes are “making business decisions” as they try to increase their draft stock.
“Now they do all their homework and the schools do a very good job of reaching out to these kids and giving them an idea of where they are 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 how NFL teams are thinking, as it’s an obvious take on the situation: Players are putting another year of football into their bodies in college instead of in the pros. In turn, NFL teams must take this into account in their prospect analysis 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 those guys are in their best interest to stay and some of them maybe should have left. But either way, when you get paid that kind of money, I can see where it’s hard for these kids to make those decisions.”
To give some perspective on the type of money prospects would get if they were selected on Day 3, or in rounds four through seven, the 101st pick in this year’s draft – Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jermod McCoy – is scheduled to make $5.549 million for his draft spot over four years. That equates 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 during 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 believes he could be a Day 2 pick, much less a first-round pick, a rookie contract could more than double that $5.549 million mark, making it a clear trade decision for each player.
Of course, nothing is guaranteed either. The risk of playing football always exists, regardless of the professional or college level. However, the talent pool has shrunk with each draft, as potential prospects prefer to stay in school and collect money from their NIL deals.
