On the day the Detroit Lions’ rookies will begin an extended break ahead of training camp, the team got second-round pick Levi Onwuzurike and fourth-round picks Amon-Ra St. Brown and Derrick Barnes under contract Thursday.
That leaves cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu as the remaining rookie needing to get a deal 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.
Onwuzurike was selected No. 41 overall, while St. Brown and Barnes were taken with back-to-back picks, at Nos. 112 and 113, respectively, on the third day of the draft.
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