There is something interesting going on with Seattle Seahawks second-round picks from the 2025 NFL Draft.... Neither one of them is in Seattle right now as they hold out for a better contract. Safety Nick Emmanwori and Tight End Elijah Arroyo. are both still not in Seattle and will be potential hold outs to start training camp.
CBS Sports writer John Breech explained why Emmanwori and Arroyo haven't inked their deals yet. This isn't just a random situation, this could be happening to a lot of other second round picks for a very specific reason.
"Every player selected in the first round gets a fully guaranteed rookie contract, but that's not the case with players taken in the second round. Well, it wasn't until this year. When Higgins signed his deal on May 8, he became the first second-round pick in NFL history to get a fully guaranteed deal, and he wasn't even the first pick of the second round. He was the second pick of the round at 34th overall," Breech wrote.
Second-round picks are waiting to see if other teams will get the full guarantees, especially New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, who is going into training camp with the expectation of being the starter.
"The Saints quarterback was taken with the 40th overall pick, and he also wants a fully guaranteed deal since he's likely going to be the team's starting QB this year. If Shough gets 100% in guarantees, then the players taken between 35th and 39th will almost certainly argue that they also deserve a fully guaranteed deal," Breech wrote.
This makes is a lot more likely that Nick Emmanwori would get a fully guaranteed deal, but Arroyo would likely not be in that category, although it might still be best for him to wait and see what happens.
While it is frustrating to see, you have to be able to see both sides, the players are just doing what is best for them at the moment.
It's not easy to get playing time as a rookie or as a second-round pick, so there is a strong belief that they will want to figure this contract situation out sooner than later, to get a chance to showcase themselves in training camp.