Looking into Detroit Lions rookie deal extension candidates and what they might get

During his memorable season-ending press conference, Brad Holmes tallied receipts about his first draft class as Detroit Lions' general manager.

"When you look back at those picks, those picks were not welcomed by many in this room,” Holmes said. “Dave (Birkett), you wanted us to pick a quarterback. You didn’t want us to pick Penei Sewell. People didn’t want us to wait until the fourth round to draft a wide receiver (Amon-Ra St. Brown). People didn’t want to wait on a Derrick Barnes to develop.”

That first draft class was the first bricks in a foundation of a rebuild that yielded a trip to the NFC Championship Game in Year 3. Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown are the clear cut building blocks. Alim McNeill is a budding star after a breakout third season. Ifeatu Melifonwu was finally healthy and became a force down the stretch of the just-completed season. Derrick Barnes had a mostly excellent third season.

That's five of the Lions' seven picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, and as of right now all seven are somewhere on the roster. That feels like it's rare around the league, even as relatively recent as it is. Those players are all now eligible for contract extensions, having completed three seasons in the league.

So let's look at those extension-eligible players, in the order they were drafted in 2021 (with round and pick number), and what a new deal might look like for them.

Taking a look at Detroit Lions rookie extension candidates

1. RT Penei Sewell (First Round, No. 7 overall)

Sewell has quickly become one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL, if not the best if you account for his age compared to say, Trent Williams. The Lions are going to have to make him one of the highest-paid offensive tackles in the league very soon, and they know it.

Since he was a first-round pick, the Lions have a fifth-year option decision coming on Sewell before early May. That's a no-brainer to be picked up, but it could wind up basically being a place-holder for talks about a long-term deal. Over The Cap estimates the fifth-year option for Sewell at $19.7 million based on being selected to the Pro Bowl on the original ballot once among his two selections. He was an alternate the first time, in his second season.

The Lions could bypass the fifth-year option all together and just sign Sewell to a lengthy and lucrative multi-year deal early this offseason.

Sewell will get deal in the $20-$25 million a year range, to put him among the top-paid offensive tackles. Spotrac projects him for a four-year, $90.67 million deal ($22.6 million per year), with an assumption of starting after the fifth-year option in 2025. But let's leave aside the option, and go a little further.

Penei Sewell contract extension projection (2026-2030): 5 years, $110 million; $70 million fully guaranteed, $25 million signing bonus

2. DT Levi Onwuzurike (Second Round, No. 41 overall)

Onwuzurike battled a back injury that dated back to college as a rookie, then he missed his entire second season after aggravating the injury and having major surgery. By all accounts he was healthy this past season, but he didn't play much (132 snaps)-or very well.

As the offseason gets going, Onwuzurike is firmly on the radar to be cut by the Lions. A contract extension, to put it plainly, is not happening.

Levi Onwuzurike contract extension projection: N/A

3. DT Alim McNeill (Third Round, No. 72 overall)

McNeill put in a lot of work to reshape his body last offseason, from a body fat and strength perspective, and he worked hard to broaden his game on the field too. It paid off, as he had five sacks (second on the team), and 10 quarterback hits while boosting his overall Pro Football Focus grade substantially.

PFF called him the Lions' "secret superstar" and most improved player after that breakthrough season.

"Despite playing in just 13 games, McNeill still managed to notch 34 pressures and a career-high five sacks while surging up the middle of the Lions defensive line. He’ll return next season to carry on being a quiet superstar."
-Pro Football Focus

McNeill has made progress year-over-year each season of his career. He started all 17 games in 2022 and played a lot more snaps than he did as a rookie, then he had the aforementioned third-year breakthrough.

McNeill is a bargain in the final year of his rookie deal, with a base salary in the $1.3 million range. But Over The Cap's valuation projection for him points to where he could get to in a contract extension ($8.7 million). The Lions may want to see what the next step is for him before committing long-term, but there's a case for them to buy into his continual progress now before he elevates his value.

Alim McNeill contract extension projection (if it happens this offseason): 3 years, $21.5 million; $15 million fully guaranteed

4. S Ifeatu Melifonwu (Third Round, No. 101 overall)

Melifonwu has battled injuries off and on over his first three NFL seasons, with a position switch mixed in too after being a cornerback at Syracuse. But once he cleared a hand injury this past season, he was inserted into the starting lineup in place of Tracy Walker in Week 14 and did not look back.

In Week 15, Melifonwu showed his prowess as a blitzer with one sack. The week after that, he had two sacks and an interception on his way to winning NFC Defensive Player of the Week. In Week 17, Melifonwu had another interception. He continued to be impactful in the playoffs, with 1.5 sacks in the Divisional Round and another half-sack in the NFC Championship Game. He also led the team with nine tackles in the Divisional Round win over the Buccaneers.

Melinfonwu is lined up for a full-on, full season breakout in 2024. The only thing really standing in his way is health, as he still has to show he can stay on the field consistently. With that last point in mind, a contract extension for him is probably not a high priority for the Lions this offseason.

Ifeatu Melinfonwu contract extension projection: Let's see what he does next season

5. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (Fourth Round, No. 112 overall)

St. Brown has carried the chip on his shoulder from being the 17th wide receiver taken in the 2021 draft right to becoming one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Next to Jared Goff, and maybe even more than the Lions' quarterback, getting him locked up long-term is the most important piece of extension business the team will do this offseason.

St. Brown is a lock to get $20 million, or more, a year in his next contract. A report from Cam Marino indicates the two sides are working on a deal that will pay "The Sun God" around $25 million per year over at least three years. $25 million a year would put him in the top-five highest-paid wide receivers in the league as it stands right now (tied for fourth, actually).

Amon-Ra St. Brown contract extension projection: Four years, $102 million; $60 million fully guaranteed, $30 million signing bonus

6. LB Derrick Barnes (Fourth Round, No. 113 overall)

Barnes had a memorably bad play against the Dallas Cowboys last season. That's what may stick in a lot of fans' memories about him, if not for his game-sealing interception against Tampa Bay in the Divisional Round. He'll never buy a beer in Detroit again.

But beyond those two polar extremes Barnes had a nice season, finishing fourth on the team with 81 total tackles while playing a clear career-high 705 defensive snaps. Patience clearly paid off with him, as Holmes noted in his season-ending media session, as he was a college defensive end making the full-time transition to off the ball linebacker in the NFL.

The Lions are deep at linebacker. Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell and Barnes pushed Malcolm Rodriguez into a special teams role last season. Campbell and Rodriguez are young, and could both be starters in 2025. A question is where Barnes fits in that future picture, or if he fits into it. There's a chance he simply does not.

Derrick Barnes contract extension projection: TBD, but probably not this offseason

7. RB Jermar Jefferson (Seventh Round, No. 257 overall)

Jefferson has spent most of the last two seasons on the Lions' practice squad, including finishing this past season on IR. He was signed to a reserve/futures deal though, so he'll get a chance to show he's healthy and maybe earn a roster spot. Or maybe he sticks around on the practice squad again.

In any case, as expected, Jefferson is not getting a contract extension to stay with the Lions.

Jermar Jefferson contract extension projection: N/A