Aidan Hutchinson, Sauce Gardner, More NFL 5th-Year Option Contract Salaries Revealed

The fifth-year option values for players selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft have been revealed, with Detroit Lions edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson and New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner set to be two of the highest-paid players once their options get picked up.

Gardner, a two-time Pro Bowler, will have a fifth-year option worth $20.2 million. Meanwhile, Hutchinson is slated for a $19.9 million option thanks to his 2023 Pro Bowl nod.

Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is looking at a $17.6 million option, while Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson is due a $16.8 million option.

Per Over the Cap, fifth-year option values are determined based on four different tiers of salary. The tiers include a basic salary, play time, one-time Pro Bowler and multiple-time Pro Bowler.

The basic tier is for a player who doesn't fit any of the other tiers and is calculated by averaging the salaries of the third- to 25th-highest salaries at the position. The playtime tier is calculated averaging the third- to 20th-highest salaries at the position over the past five seasons, provided the player meets the snap-count criteria (75 percent or greater in two of the first three seasons; an average of 75 percent or greater over all three seasons; or 50 percent or greater over all three seasons).

Tyler Linderbaum of the Baltimore Ravens and Tyler Smith of the Dallas Cowboys will receive the highest fifth-year option salaries in 2026 at $23.4 million. They have earned that amount by virtue of both being named to the Pro Bowl twice.

Ravens star Kyle Hamilton will also cash in as a two-time Pro Bowler with an $18.6 million option. The 23-year-old has been arguably the most valuable defensive player in the NFL over the past two seasons because of how he's been used by Baltimore.

In addition to being eligible to have their fifth-year options picked up, this is also the first offseason that all of the 2022 draftees can sign long-term extensions with their teams.

If healthy, Hutchinson could end up signing the richest deal among first-round players in the 2022 draft class when he gets an extension. The market for top-tier edge-rushers has been trending up in recent years, highlighted by Nick Bosa's five-year, $170 million extension with the San Francisco 49ers.

The deadline for fifth-year options to be picked up is May 2.