But Higgins was the first second-rounder to ink his rookie deal this year, and because contracts across all sports are heavily rooted in precedent, the Cleveland Browns quickly followed suit and gave the first pick of the second round (33rd overall), linebacker Carson Schwesinger, a fully-guaranteed deal as well.

Bridgewater retired from the NFL after the 2023 season to coach at Miami Northwestern High School. In his first season, he led the program to a Class 3A state championship. He then re-signed with the Lions on Dec. 26 of last year to finish the 2024 season as the backup to Jared Goff.

As we now enter the top 20 in our countdown of the entire 2025 Detroit Lions roster, we’re starting to crack into the players on the roster who are not only essential to the team, but could even get some national recognition for their play.