The Baltimore Ravens signed first-round pick C.J. Mosley to a four-year rookie contract on Tuesday.
The linebacker from Alabama was the No. 17 overall pick in the NFL Draft earlier this month. The contract includes a fifth-year team option and expected to be worth about $8.78 million, including a 4.7 million signing bonus, according to CBSSports.com.
The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Mosley was a first-team All-American twice during his college career and won the 2013 Butkus Award in 2013 as the nation’s top linebacker.
In 51 games at Alabama, Mosley had 320 tackles, 6 1/2 sacks, five interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He ranks third in school history in total tackles.
With the Ravens, Mosley is expected to compete for playing time at one of the inside linebacker spots.
“Probably the first impression is that he seems very comfortable in a defense,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He understands the game very well. So he’s been really well-coached, obviously, down (at Alabama).
“It’s not like he doesn’t know what gap he is fitting in. It’s not like he doesn’t know what adjustment to make. That’s a long way ahead for a rookie. Plus, he is athletic, and he moves around really well.”