The 2015 draft is now three years old, so the picks of this draft class go into their last year of contract in 2018. For the first round picks, teams have until today’s 3rd May to draw the option on the fifth contract year. However, this did not happen to all players, SPOX gives the overview.
Of the 32 first-round picks from the 2015 vintage, seven are no longer with the team that drafted them at the time. Recently, cornerback Marcus Peters from the Chiefs to the Rams and defensive tackle Danny Shelton from the Browns to the Patriots were traded. The Rams took the option with Peters, so he is still comparatively cheap under contract in 2019.
Not surprisingly, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota don’t go anywhere with the two top picks of the drag. Other top 10 picks, on the other hand, will have to recommend themselves for a new contract in 2018: Neither Jaguars Pass rusher Dante Fowler, nor Bears receiver Kevin White or Giants tackle Ereck Flowers received the option.
Financially, this is how the option works: The top 10 picks receive the average salary of the ten top salaries in their respective positions. Winston, for example, will collect $20.922 million under the option.
For the remaining first round picks, the average value for each position is calculated from the third highest salary up to the player who still ranks 25th in terms of salary. Bronco’s defensive end Shane Ray, with no option, would have received $9.2 million in the fifth year, Eagles receiver Nelson Agholor received $9.38 million, Marcus Peters in L.A. $9.04 million.