It turns out Leodis McKelvin won't miss a full-contact practice this summer.
The Buffalo Bills' No. 1 draft choice reached an agreement on a new contract late Saturday afternoon, meaning he will be in the fold in time for the team's first practice in pads — to be held Monday.
McKelvin, the 11th overall pick in the draft, is expected to challenge for a starting position at left cornerback with incumbent Jabari Greer. McKelvin missed three practices over the first two days of camp.
The contract is for five years. It is worth a maximum value of $19.4 million, according to a league source, which would be an average of $3.88 million a year. It includes $12.6 million in guaranteed money.
The total value compares favorably with the 10th overall pick, New England's Jerod Mayo, whose deal is worth $18.9 over five years.
McKelvin is a 5-foot-10, 192-pounder from Troy University. He was the top-rated cornerback in the April draft. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds, the same time as Bills receiver Lee Evans and former Bills cornerback Nate Clements coming out of college. McKelvin also is a star return man, with seven punt returns for scores as a collegian and one kickoff return for a touchdown.
As a senior, McKelvin averaged 17.4 yards on punt returns and 23.2 yards on kickoff returns.
The Bills already have one of the best return games in the NFL, with Terrence McGee on kickoffs and Roscoe Parrish on punts. McKelvin makes it even deeper.
McKelvin is the latest top prospect to come from Troy, the Alabama school in the Sun Belt Conference that has produced Pro Bowlers DeMarcus Ware of Dallas and Osi Umenyiora of the Giants.
There was a flurry of first-round signings Friday and Saturday. At the time McKelvin agreed to a deal, there remained only three unsigned top picks out of 31 drafted. They were No. 7 Sedrick Ellis (New Orleans), No. 8 Derrick Harvey (Jacksonville) and No. 9 Keith Rivers (Cincinnati).
Last year's Bills top pick, Marshawn Lynch, signed the night before camp opened. In 2006, Donte Whitner missed eight days of camp before signing.
