The Patriots now have four of their seven draft picks under contract.
Linebackers Jamie Collins (second round) and seventh-rounder Steve Beauharnais agreed to deals and are now officially under contract with the Patriots, the team announced on Friday. Terms of the deals were not released.
Collins, the Patriots first selection in this year’s draft, is in line for the biggest contract of the group. He’ll likely receive a deal close to the Titans’ Zach Brown, who was picked 52nd overall in 2012. Brown’s deal was for four years and $3.85 million with $964,550 in a signing bonus. With the continued inflation in NFL contracts, Collins could very well see $4 million in total value and even over $1 million as a bonus.
Beauharnais should see something similar to another Patriots seventh-round pick, Jeremy Ebert, who was taken in the same spot in 2012. Ebert’s deal was for four years and $2.148 million with a $48,200 bonus.
Collins and Beauharnais join Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon as the Patriots rookies now under contract. Wide receivers Aaron Dobson (second round) and Josh Boyce (fourth round) and defensive end Michael Buchanan (seventh round) are the team’s only picks left unsigned.
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