ESPN staff Apr 3, 2026, 12:00 PM ET The deadline for NFL teams to pick up fifth-year options on the rookie contracts of 2023 first-round draft picks is May 1. Teams have to decide whether to keep the 31 players below for a fifth season. If the team declines the option, 2026 will be the last season on the rookie contract, making the player a free agent in 2027. If the option is picked up, the player remains under contract for 2027. We are tracking the entire 2023 class -- which had only 31 picks after the Miami Dolphins were stripped of their first-round selection for violations of league policies relating to the integrity of the game -- and updating as teams make their decisions. What is a fifth-year option? According to OverTheCap.com , the 2020 collective bargaining agreement allows teams to exercise a fifth-year option for players drafted in the first round as an addition to the standard four-year rookie contract.…