OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa has signed his rookie NFL contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
A fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Tampa's deal is for four years and $4,781,456. $698,456 is guaranteed at signing, according to Spotrac, and he would become an unrestricted free agent in 2028.
The Cyclone standout (6'1", 194 lbs.) recounted what he was thinking as his name fell past the first, second and third rounds.
"They always say the draft is unpredictable, and of course, I would have liked to have gone earlier. And it's definitely a chip on my shoulder from here on out; for all the teams that skipped me and all the corners that went before me, and I'm going to use that as fuel every day," Tampa told the media following his selection.
Tampa, along with four other Ravens rookies including first-round cornerback Nate Wiggins, signed their deals on Thursday.
"He had a Big 12 Pro Day, and he did not run at the Combine, so that might have hurt him a little bit, but for us, we see the length, we see the size, we see the leaping ability [and] his ability to play the football," Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said of Tampa. "He's a tough guy. He tackles well. We're excited. We think he's going to have a chip on his shoulder and play well."
They speak highly of him at [Iowa State]. So, again, any time you have [well]-sized corner, you're always intrigued, but I think he's got the necessary movement skills at that size, along with his length, to give us something as a coverage player and then also be able to support the run," Ravens Director of College Scouting David Blackburn added.
Tampa joins a Baltimore roster that includes former Cyclone teammate in tight end Charlie Kolar and starting center Tyler Linderbaum, a 2022 first-round pick from the Iowa Hawkeyes.