Former Bruin Among Large Rookie Group Still Unsigned

The NFL landscape continues to change, especially when it comes to its players getting paid.

Tennessee Titans second-rounder, and former UCLA Bruin, Femi Oladejo is one of 30 second-round NFL Draft picks who have still not signed their rookie deals.

It comes on the heels of wide receiver Jayden Higgins’ recent contract. Higgins, who was taken in the same round as Oladejo, received a fully guaranteed deal, something almost unheard of for rookies.

However, in today’s NFL landscape, the second one player got a fully guaranteed deal, it was destined to cause a domino effect. Soon enough, other rookies were going to get theirs, and they did.

On top of Higgins, the Titans — who had the first overall pick and took QB Cam Ward — gave Ward a fully guaranteed deal.

But this isn’t uncharted territory. NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that 30 of the 32 second-round picks have still been unsigned due to disagreements over guaranteed money.

And now Oladejo, a player who prides himself on being an energy guy and keeping spirits high in the locker room, is testing the waters on potentially missing the start of training camp.

The rookie defensive end was making waves in rookie camp and impressed Titans coaches with his raw talent and tremendous athleticism.

As a player who started his career as a traditional linebacker, the transition to the edge has been seamless, as he led UCLA in sacks and tackles for loss.

It was the best-case scenario for Oladejo. He was placed in a position where he would either sink or float on a UCLA team figuring its program out after making a change at head coach.

Ultimately, Oladejo floated and parlayed his exceptional season into being drafted in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

But with the possibility of missing camp, does it end up hurting him?

NFL players have continuously shown they’re behind each other. When it comes to getting paid, the player should be rewarded at or above their level.

The conundrum is that now rookies are causing holdouts. Shemar Stewart, who the Cincinnati Bengals drafted, has been in a long, drawn-out and ugly dispute with the team. Meanwhile, second-rounder Tre Harris still hasn’t signed his deal with the Los Angeles Chargers.

At the end of the day, players want to see each other get paid. But they also haven’t been shy about initiating rookies into the league, and sometimes you wonder if veterans aren’t appreciating the way rookies have been handling their contract discussions.

The Titans need Oladejo; he’s second on the depth chart behind Dre’Mont Jones, who’s coming off a disappointing tenure in Seattle.

And if Jones doesn’t perform up to a high standard, then it’s on Oladejo, putting his team in a tough spot.