In an NFL draft class robust with defensive linemen, a player who has already proven to be among the NFL elite might be the name to watch on the opening night of the draft: the New York Jets' Muhammad Wilkerson. If Wilkerson, a defensive end, is traded, the Jets' asking price will be a first-round pick, and that alone might not get the deal done, multiple team sources told Yahoo Sports.

At this point, Wilkerson is still on the block. He could be traded in the coming weeks. He could be traded on the first day of the draft. But if that doesn't happen, Wilkerson may not get dealt, and the Jets will continue to work on a potential extension. He's currently locked into next season under the franchise tag, at a cost of $15.701 million. He is in a group of multiple players under the tag who have varying levels of difficulty ahead with new long-term deals. Wilkerson, however, is the most pressing due to his availability on the trade market.

One team that appears off the board, at least at the moment, is the Chicago Bears. The Bears are unlikely to part with their first-round pick (11th overall) because of the high quality defensive line depth in this draft, a league source said. Acquiring Wilkerson would require subtracting another key draft piece, as well as a massive new contract, although Chicago has ample salary-cap space to accommodate such a new deal for Wilkerson.

A trade partner for Wilkerson has become more difficult to find because of four factors. First, partners require the cap space to sign Wilkerson to one of the richer defensive end deals in NFL history. The starting point of that negotiation has been ratcheted up by the contract Olivier Vernon landed in free agency. Vernon landed with the New York Giants at a clip of $17 million per season, $52.5 million of which is guaranteed. Wilkerson's next deal will be expected to start in that neighborhood. That's a problem. Second, a team has to surrender the resources to acquire him, and that includes a first-round pick (if not more). Third, no deal can be consummated until Wilkerson works out financial terms with a suitor, which in essence gives him the power to veto any trade if he doesn't like the destination. In an awkward way, the Jets would essentially have to relent on Wilkerson being courted by teams while satisfying their trade requirements and still being under their franchise tag. And, finally, Wilkerson suffered a broken leg at the end of last season. Although he's expected to be fully healed and ready to go by training camp, any interested teams will require him to pass a physical for a deal to be consummated. That's all but impossible to do on draft day, meaning it would have to be done beforehand.

That's a lot to ask in short time before the draft kicks off on April 28. That's what might keep Wilkerson on the Jets' roster for at least one more season.

Here's a look at how the negotiations of other franchise-tagged players are shaping up …

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Von Miller, OLB, Denver Broncos

Tag amount: $14.129 million

Where it stands: This one has the potential to get messy this offseason. The Broncos don't like some of the top-tier defensive deals that the free-agent market has produced. They think two in particular were overpaid: Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (who's making over $19 million per year) and Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston (who signed a six-year $101 million deal last offseason). That viewpoint could end up being a problem because those deals impact how Denver sees Miller's next contract. Particularly the Suh deal, since Miller has ascended to rarified air among his NFL peers. Multiple league sources have spelled it out at this stage: The Broncos want to slot Miller ahead of Houston, but below Suh, somewhere in the neighborhood of $18 million per season. At this moment, that hasn't gotten the deal done because the market changed this offseason. Specifically, the New York Giants blew out the contract of edge rusher Olivier Vernon, putting him on a $17-million-per-year plateau. The Broncos have bucked the market, getting "priced out" of their own free agents in Malik Jackson, Brock Osweiler and Danny Trevathan. Now Denver is looking at a changed market for edge rushers with the Vernon deal, and confronted with a serious question: If the market dictates that Vernon is worth $17 million per season, what is Miller worth? The Broncos' answer to that will dictate how difficult their next round of negotiations with Miller will be. And it's not looking like an easy deal.





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Josh Norman, CB, Carolina Panthers

Tag amount:

$13.952 million

Where it stands: A little like Von Miller in Denver, this could get messy before anything gets done. Norman has unambiguously voiced his displeasure with the franchise tag system, notably after watching some jaw-dropping contracts for elite defensive free agents this offseason. Had Norman been in the class, he had a chance to sign one of the top five richest deals on the open market. But he wasn't, and the Panthers have been OK with keeping him another season at what could be perceived as a discounted rate. Carolina doesn't see it that way. Multiple league sources have said the Panthers view Norman's tag rate for what it is: a one-year deal that pays him like he's among the big "elite four," with Darrelle Revis, Patrick Peterson and Richard Sherman. Norman sees it like this: the New York Giants signed Janoris Jenkins (who Norman easily outclasses) to a deal that averages $12.5 million per season. If Jenkins is worth that, Norman believes he would have landed a deal in free agency that placed him as the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. The asking price is a deal averaging $15 million to $16 million per season, a league source says. Carolina isn't ready to pay that, and is more than happy to let him play this season under the tag. This one isn't likely to get settled until late into the offseason, if at all this year. And Norman may not sign the tag and show up to offseason workouts in protest.



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Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington Redskins

Tag amount:

$19.953 million

Where it stands: The Redskins have made a few efforts to get a long-term deal done with Cousins, but multiple league sources have told Yahoo Sports that Washington has come to the realization that it's going to take a "legitimate" franchise quarterback deal to make that happen. Here's what that means: Cousins isn't going the Colin Kaepernick route and signing a deal with "trap doors" inserted into it, which would give the Redskins the ability to exit after one or two years. Cousins wants an old-school, franchise quarterback contract that locks the Redskins into a lengthy commitment. That means something in the range of $19 million per year with $40 million guaranteed. Considering what Brock Osweiler got from the Houston Texans this offseason with far less experience (and statistical accomplishments), that's the market. Will it happen? That might depend on how Cousins looks in the offseason program and minicamp. Right now, the Redskins view Cousins as a backup who ascended into a starting role. Eventually, a threshold has to be crossed where they see him as the centerpiece of the franchise. Until that happens, an ironclad long-term deal isn't getting done.



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Eric Berry, S, Kansas City Chiefs

Tag amount:

$10.806 million

Where it stands: The Chiefs are neck-deep in draft grinding right now, so Berry is on the back burner for the short term. This isn't a sign of problems. The negotiations to get Berry extended will pick up after the draft. And it will emerge as the top priority for the Chiefs. Berry wants to be in Kansas City. He's emotionally attached to the city, fan base and franchise. He has a great relationship with the coaching staff and front office. That mutual admiration will go a long way. It also helps that the Chiefs are short on cap space and getting a long-term deal done will provide some wiggle room. While safety negotiations can be precarious from a respect standpoint and sometimes unpredictable, Berry is elite and he'll land a contract that should exceed the deal signed by the New England Patriots' Devin McCourty last offseason. That was for $47.5 million over five years, with $28.5 million guaranteed. If Berry takes less than that, he's giving the Chiefs a discount.



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Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears

Tag amount:

$14.599 million

Where it stands: Much like the Chiefs with Eric Berry, multiple sources have said the Bears are locked in on the draft and will make a push on a long-term deal with Jeffery later in the offseason. And Jeffery is at peace with it, given his franchise tag (though restrictive) is dialed in at elite receiver money. It would be a stretch to say he's excited to play under the tag, but this is one of the situations where the price is at least in the upper reaches of his position. Negotiation prospects are solid in this case. The Bears are motivated to extend him. Jeffery knows and loves the city of Chicago, he's been involved with the community there, and he has a good relationship with the coaching staff and general manager Ryan Pace. And when Chicago has kicked tires in the draft process, their most serious work at wideout has been on guys who aren't presumed No. 1 receivers. Jeffery has some incentive to play it slow. His tag is lucrative enough to do that. He'll seek a deal north of the five-year, $55 million contract signed by the Kansas City Chiefs' Jeremy Maclin last offseason (which included $22.5 million in guaranteed money). It may ultimately end up slotting between that deal and the five-year, $65 million extension signed by Indianapolis Colts wideout T.Y. Hilton in 2015, which included $28 million guaranteed.



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Cordy Glenn, OT, Buffalo Bills

Tag amount:

$13.706 million

Where it stands: The Bills have moved Glenn's new deal to the top of their list of priorities. They have some breathing room under the salary cap, albeit not a significant amount. Glenn's tag amount puts him into elite tackle territory for this season, which is a tad high given his career arc. But the Bills see him as an ascending cornerstone in the franchise, and they'll ultimately pay him like it. This will be a tough negotiation that might take a while. Ultimately, the deal signed by Indianapolis Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo last offseason will likely be where this lands. That was for an average of slightly less than $11 million per season with $35 million guaranteed. Some might gripe that Glenn hasn't yet reached Pro Bowl or All-Pro status, but take a look at Castonzo's career. He hasn't, either. Despite a rough finale last season, Glenn is one of the better young left tackles in the NFL. Those guys get paid. Glenn will, too. And the Bills know it.



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Trumaine Johnson, CB, Los Angeles Rams

Tag amount: $13.952 million

Where it stands: Like the Chiefs' Eric Berry and Bears' Jeffery, this negotiation is in a holding pattern until after the draft. It's also a round of talks that could get pushed sideways a bit by the Giants' deal with Janoris Jenkins. There's a correlation factor in play here. The Rams tagged Johnson over Jenkins, a clear indicator of which player they felt was a better building block. Jenkins' deal with the Giants, one that averages $12.5 million per season, put an unexpected baseline in place for Johnson. The older player the Rams liked less (Jenkins) got paid far more than anyone could have imagined. That doesn't mean Johnson's negotiations become a problem. It's just tougher for the Rams. Los Angeles likes Johnson a great deal and would like to get an extension done. It was encouraged by his rebound from injuries in 2014 and sees him as a potential defensive cornerstone. That doesn't mean the Rams are willing to pay him elite cornerback money right now. If an extension happens, and it's a big if after seeing Jenkins' deal in New York, this will likely be a last-minute offseason agreement. The Rams may tip their hand in the draft on this one, too. Should a cornerback be added relatively early, it would likely be an insurance policy against losing Johnson in free agency next offseason.





Justin Tucker, K, Baltimore Ravens

Tag amount: $4.572 million

Where it stands: We have not yet reached the point when kicker negotiations become a big problem, and Tucker isn't likely to be the guy who changes that. At 26, he's arguably the best kicker in the NFL. His salary will eventually be slotted there, alongside (or slightly north of) the deal of New England's Stephen Gostkowski. That contract was worth $17.2 million over four years, with $10.1 million in guaranteed money. The Ravens don't have a wealth of cap space, so getting Tucker done and spreading his guaranteed money over the length of his deal will help a little bit. Tucker wants to be in Baltimore and the Ravens want him back. This will get done eventually.





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2016 NFL draft prospects