CINCINNATI, OH - MAY 12: Dre Kirkpatrick #27 of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on during a rookie minicamp at Paul Brown Stadium on May 12, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
After agreeing to terms on a four-year deal on Friday, cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick became the earliest that a first-round rookie, drafted by the Bengals, signed his contract since Carson Palmer in 2003. The deal is reportedly worth $8.6 million with $7.84 million guaranteed with a previously unreported (that we know of) signing bonus worth $4.9 million.
The contract is roughly slotted as it should be, compared to the other selections drafted around Kirkpatrick. Of the four deals completed before his at No. 17, Kirkpatrick's contract is the first that's not entirely guaranteed. Bruce Irvin's deal with Seattle. Fully guaranteed. Quinton Coples' deal with New York. Fully guaranteed. Approximately 91.1 percent of Kirkpatrick's deal is guaranteed, followed by Melvin Ingram's deal with San Diego, which is 88.3 percent guaranteed.
| Team | Year | Total | Guar. | Signing | |
| No. 10 Luke Kuechly | Carolina | Four | $12.58M | $12.58M | $7.58M |
| No. 12 Stephon Gilmore | Buffalo | Four | $12.084M | $12.084M | $7.228M |
| No. 15 Bruce Irvin | Seattle | Four | $9.32M | $9.32M | $5.23M |
| No. 16 Quinton Coples | NY Jets | Four | $8.8M | $8.8M | $4.842M |
| No. 17 Dre Kirkpatrick | Cincinnati | Four | $8.6M | $7.840M | $4.9M |
| No. 18 Melvin Ingram | San Diego | Four | $8.39M | $7.41M | $4.54M |
Kirkpatrick figures to compete for a starting job at training camp, possibly against Nate Clements, but a common sense selection if Leon Hall's rehabilitation is slowed.
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