The New England Patriots added a total of ten players during the 2019 NFL draft, and the second of those picks was invested in cornerback Joejuan Williams: the Patriots chose the Vanderbilt defender with the 45th overall selection. But while he was not the first player drafted by the world champions, the club still made him the first one to officially be brought into the fold by signing him to his rookie deal.
As first reported by NESN’s Doug Kyed, the Patriots and Williams agreed to a four-year contract. With the rookie wage scale being introduced in 2011 as part of the current collective bargaining agreement, contract negotiations for the majority of draft picks have become rather unspectacular: Williams’ deal with New England will be worth a total of $6.