The Colts and second-round linebacker Darius Leonard have agreed on a rookie contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Leonard, the final Indianapolis rookie to come under contract, will receive a four-year deal worth roughly $7.248MM, per Over the Cap. The 36th overall selection, Leonard should collect a signing bonus of ~$3.351MM and carry a 2018 cap charge near $1.318MM.
It’s unclear exactly what held up negotiations between Leonard and the Colts, but Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star recently reported that Leonard would likely have a contract in place by today when rookies were scheduled to report. Back-end first-round picks were reportedly haggling over fourth-year guarantees, and that could have conceivably been a point of contention for Leonard, as well. With Leonard and Giants running back Saquon Barkley now signed, only nine 2018 draft selections are without deals.
Viewed as an extremely athletic linebacker coming out of South Carolina State, Leonard dealt with a quad injury during the spring but is expected to be fully healthy for training camp. Expected to be the Colts’ weakside ‘backer of the future, Leonard is a good bet to see playing time as a rookie alongside Antonio Morrison and John Simon, with former Eagle Najee Goode and fellow second-rounder Kemoko Turay acting as competition.