How Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw contracts impact Lions' salary cap

The Detroit Lions did not rest on their veteran offseason acquisitions at cornerback, adding Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw with their first two picks of the 2024 draft. Brad Holmes backed up the sentiment that you can never have too many corners, and the Lions have a couple long-term answers at the position they did not have before.

Rookie scale NFL contracts are cut-and-dry and easily projectable, with few things to be haggled over in negotiations (structure of guaranteed money and offset language are the two most common things that can hold up a deal getting signed).

Day 3 draft picks will fall below the Top-51 threshold, thus they won't count against the salary cap until final roster cuts before the season. So we can quickly narrow to Arnold and Rakestraw in terms of immediate 2024 cap implications for the Lions, since they are locks to make the 53-man roster barring something unforeseen.

How much will Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw make on their rookie contracts?

According to Over The Cap, here are the contract projections for Arnold and Rakestraw.

Terrion Arnold

Total contract (projected): Four years, $14.34 million; $7.25 million signing bonus

2024
Cap number: $2.6 million
Base salary: $795,000
Signing bonus proration: $1.81 million

2025
Cap number: $3.26 million
Base salary: $1.45 million
Signing bonus proration: $1.81 million

2026
Cap number: $3.91 milliion
Base salary: $2.098 million
Signing bonus proration: $1.81 million

2027
Cap number: $4.56 million
Base salary: $2.75 million
Signing bonus proration: $1.81 million

As a first-round pick, Arnold will have a fifth-year option for the Lions to decide on by early May of 2027. The exact value of it will be determined by his draft position and any on-field thresholds he meets and/or accomplishments he has (playing time, Pro Bowl selections).

Ennis Rakestraw

Total contract (projected): Four years, $6.48 million; $1.54 million signing bonus

2024

Cap number: $1.18 million
Base salary: $795,000
Signing bonus proration: $384,405


2025

Cap number: $1.47 million
Base salary: $1.09 million
Signing bonus proration: $384.405

2026

Cap number: $1.77 million
Base salary: $1.38 million
Signing bonus proration: $384,405


2027


Cap number: $2.06 million
Base salary: $1.68 million
Signing bonus proration: $384,405

So the Lions' top two draft picks will account for about $3.78 million against the salary cap as rookies. The most they will account for together against the cap for over their first four years, barring contract extensions before 2027 that may alter that, is about $6.76 million.