Jaylen Waddle, Patrick Surtain II and DeVonta Smith had the fifth-year options on their rookie contracts picked up by their NFL teams this offseason. Mac Jones, Kadarius Toney and Najee Harris did not.

But there was one other player with Alabama football roots selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. What about Alex Leatherwood’s fifth-year option?

Each first-round draft pick signs a four-year contract that carries a team option for a fifth season – in this case, the 2025 season. But that option must be exercised before the player’s fourth season. For the 2021 first-rounders, the deadline to do so arrived at 3 p.m. CDT Thursday.

But for Leatherwood, there was no deadline because there was no option. Although it should have had another season remaining, the four-year, $14.392 million contract that Leatherwood signed after the Las Vegas Raiders selected him at No. 17 in the 2021 NFL Draft is no longer applicable.

Leatherwood earned the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman and received unanimous All-American recognition in 2020 for Alabama’s undefeated CFP national-championship team before joining the Crimson Tide’s record-tying six first-round selections in the 2021 draft.

Leatherwood started every game of his rookie season and played every offensive snap in all but one. Leatherwood lined up at right tackle in his first four NFL games and right guard for the remaining 13 while playing 1,105 offensive snaps in 2021.

But on Aug. 31, 2022, the Raiders waived Leatherwood when they reduced their preseason roster to the regular-season limit of 53 players. Because Leatherwood’s rookie contract was fully guaranteed, Las Vegas still owed him about $5.905 million.

But that obligation went to the Chicago Bears when they were awarded Leatherwood – and his contract – the next day off waivers.

Leatherwood played in four games for the Bears in 2022. He was waived again at the end of the preseason in 2023. This time, no team claimed him, so other than any remaining guaranteed money, his contract lapsed, along with the fifth-year option.

Leatherwood was in the NFL in 2023 but did not play in a game. He signed a practice-squad contract with Cleveland three days after being waived by Chicago and spent the season with the Browns.

Leatherwood is not under contract for 2024 with NFL offseason programs underway.

For the other 2021 first-round picks from Alabama high schools and colleges:

· The Miami Dolphins chose Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle at No. 6. Waddle signed a four-year, $27.086 million contract, and the Dolphins guaranteed Waddle $15.591 million for the 2025 season by exercising their option.

· The Denver Broncos chose Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II at No. 9. Surtain signed a four-year, $20.963 million contract, and the Broncos guaranteed Surtain $19.802 million for the 2025 season by exercising their option.

· The Philadelphia Eagles chose Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith at No. 10. Smith signed a four-year, $20.141 million contract. The Eagles exercised their fifth-year option and signed Smith to a three-year, $75 million contract extension, tying him to the team through the 2028 season.

· The New England Patriots chose Alabama quarterback Mac Jones at No. 15. Jones signed a four-year, $15.586 million contract. The Jacksonville Jaguars, who obtained Jones in a trade in March, declined to exercise their option on his contract, which would have guaranteed Jones $25.664 million for the 2025 season.

· The New York Giants chose Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney (Blount) at No. 20. Toney signed a four-year, $13.72 million contract. The Kansas City Chiefs, who obtained Toney in a trade during the 2022 season, declined to exercise their option on his contract, which would have guaranteed Toney $14.345 million for the 2025 season.

· The Pittsburgh Steelers chose Alabama running back Najee Harris at No. 24. Harris signed a four-year, $13.047 million contract. The Steelers declined to exercise their option on his contract, which would have guaranteed Harris $6.79 million for the 2025 season.

Of the 32 first-round picks in 2021, 18 had their fifth-year options picked up and twelve had them declined. Leatherwood wasn’t eligible, and neither was Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman.

Because Bateman didn’t report to training camp on time and played only six games in 2022, the season did not count as one of the four needed to become an unrestricted free agent. When 2024 ended, he would have been a restricted free agent, giving the Ravens the final say on his 2025 contract and making the fifth-year option unnecessary. Baltimore bypassed all that though by signing the wide receiver to a two-year contract extension through the 2026 season.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.