Florida Gators Round 1 2016 NFL Draft picks first to sign rookie deals

By Adam Silverstein
May 6, 2016
Florida Gators Round 1 2016 NFL Draft picks first to sign rookie deals
Football

Image Credit: Original: AP

Atlanta Falcons safety Keanu Neal and Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III are the first two 2016 NFL Draft first-round picks to ink their rookie deals.

Neal, the No. 17 overall pick, signed with Atlanta on Thursday, while Hargreaves, who went No. 11 overall, completed his contract on Friday.

Though terms of their deals have not been disclosed, slotted values for the contracts will pay Neal $10.7 million ($6 million bonus) and Hargreaves $14.2 million ($8.5 million bonus), each over four years. 

Neal became the first Gators player drafted by the Falcons since Elijah Williams in 1998, while Hargreaves was the first Florida player selected by Tampa Bay since Ahmad Black in 2011. There were no UF defensive backs drafted into the league last season.

Hargreaves joins wide receiver Louis Murphy, safety Major Wright and tight end Tevin Westbrook on the Bucccaneers. Neal was the only Florida player in Atlanta under the regime of ex-Gators defensive coordinator Dan Quinn until the Falcons signed DB Brian Poole as an undrafted free agent.

Indianapolis Colts fourth-round linebacker Antonio Morrison and Kansas City Chiefs fourth-round WR Demarcus Robinson each signed four-year, $2.9 million deals with bonuses around $510,000. San Francisco 49ers sixth-round running back Kelvin Taylor ($2.4 million, $100,000) also signed his rookie contract.

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