Pro Football Rumors
With this year’s second-round rookie contracts coming together quicker than in recent offseasons, only a handful of draft choices remain unsigned. One player chosen shortly after Round 2 put pen to paper Monday.
The 49ers signed third-round defensive end Romello Height to his four-year rookie deal. The No. 70 overall pick, Height will be tied to a $7.29MM slot-based salary. It is not known how much the 49ers are guaranteeing, but it will fall between the figures No. 68 overall pick Markel Bell (Eagles) and No. 71 overall choice Antonio Williams (Commanders) secured. The 49ers have signed all but one of their draft choices, with only fourth-round D-tackle Gracen Halton unsigned.
The Eagles guaranteed Bell $1.81MM at signing, via OverTheCap, while Williams landed $1.74MM. That provides a narrow window for Height, making this 49ers contract easier to complete. Of course, the rookie-scale era (2011-present) has removed most of the complications from rookie contracts. The second round, as the guarantee bar keeps moving (settling at No. 48 — Falcons CB Avieon Terrell) this year), usually provides the most hiccups. But a few players chosen early in Round 3 have not yet signed.
Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck (No. 65) and Bears tight end Sam Roush (No. 69) have not signed. The Height contract will help the Bears here. Beck’s issue is a bit more interesting. Likely seeking a quarterback premium in terms of guarantees, Beck has seen a wide gap form between the Nos. 64 (Bud Clark, Seahawks) and 66 (Tyler Onyedim, Broncos) form. Clark signed for $5.47MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap, with Onyedim landing just $1.83MM.
As for Height, he joins a 49ers team that features its top two defensive ends — Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams — coming off ACL tears. The 49ers also return 2025 trade acquisition Keion White, and they signed Cameron Sample in free agency. The Bosa and Williams rehab odysseys may make Height a bit more important than he otherwise would stand to be as a rookie. Both Bosa and Williams, however, are expected to be ready for the regular season.
Clearly having no issues packing and unpacking, Height attended four Division I-FBS programs. He played at Auburn, USC, Georgia Tech and Texas Tech over the course of a six-year college career. Height broke through in his final college season, registering 10 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss with the Red Raiders. He had previously combined for 6.5 sacks and 12.5 TFLs in his prior collegiate campaigns. Like second-rounder De’Zhaun Stribling, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah deemed Height a reach; Height checked in 114th on the draft analyst’s big board.
