On the day the Detroit Lions’ rookies will begin an extended break ahead of training camp, the team got second-round pick Levi Onwuzurike under contract Thursday.
Selected in the second round, 41st overall, Onwuzurike is the fourth Lions draft pick to agree to terms, leaving cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and linebacker Derrick Barnes as the remaining rookies needing to get deals done.
Those talks should largely be a formality, given the 2011 collective bargaining agreement implemented a rookie salary scale, which all but eliminated holdouts for first-year players.
While terms weren’t immediately available, Onwuzurike’s deal is expected to come in slightly ahead of four-year, $7.83 million figure netted by running back Jonathan Taylor, who was drafted in the same slot a year earlier. Contract website Spotrac estimates Onwuzurike will get $8.15 million.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Onwuzurike, along with third-rounder Alim McNeill, figure to see significant playing time as rookies along Detroit’s revamped defensive line.
McNeill was the first draft pick to sign with the Lions, agreeing to his four-year deal last month. First-round draft pick Penei Sewell also got his deal done early, securing a four-year pact that will pay him $24.1 million during that stretch, with the team holding a fifth-year option in 2025.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers