There’s another NFL draft most fans have completely forgotten about: The NFL’s supplemental draft.
The supplemental draft is a chance for players who were ineligible to participate in the first draft to still reach the NFL. Either due to violations of NCAA rules or academic suspension, some of the prospects in the supplemental draft are incredibly talented but were ultimately going to miss the 2019 season and have decided to enter the NFL instead.
The 2019 NFL supplemental draft is set to take place on Wednesday. Here are the rules and the players the Baltimore Ravens could be interested in selecting:
NFL supplemental draft rules:
Unlike the league’s other, more standard NFL draft, the supplemental draft works via a blind bid system that takes place over email.
The teams are arranged in three tiers based on last year’s record. Those franchises with six or fewer wins in 2018 are in the first tier. Teams that didn’t reach the postseason but did have more than six wins are in tier two. The final 12 teams that made the playoffs are in the third tier — The Ravens, as a playoff team last year, are in the final tier. Within each tier, there’s a lottery to determine the final order.
Each team writes down which prospect they’d like and in which round, if they want anyone at all. The team with the highest round wins and loses the respective round selection in the next true NFL draft. For example, if Baltimore selects a player in the third round of the supplemental draft, they would lose their third-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft next April.
In the case of ties, the team in the earliest tier wins and the lottery helps break any in-tier ties.
Any supplemental draft prospects that aren’t picked immediately become undrafted free agents that can sign with any team, much like following the standard NFL draft.
So who are the prospects?
NFL supplemental draft prospects:
While there are five prospects eligible for selection in the NFL supplemental draft, it’s unlikely we’ll see anywhere close to that number actually be picked. Last year, only two prospects were selected in the 2018 supplemental draft with the last players selected being in 2015.
Realistically, there are just two prospects that have a legitimate shot at being drafted: Washington State safety Jalen Thompson and West Virginia wide receiver Marcus Simms. Let’s do a quick scouting report on each prospect to see if they’re worthy of selecting and what round they should be picked in:
Jalen Thompson, S, Washington State
Thompson lost his eligibility due to an NCAA violation, choosing to enter the 2019 supplemental draft instead.
Thompson is perhaps the most intriguing prospect available in the supplemental draft. He’s started all 39 games over three years for Washington State, earning an All-Pac-12 honorable mention last year.
While a little undersized for a safety, Thompson makes up for that in coverage skills. Thompson has great agility, patience, vision and play recognition to be adept in coverage. Over the last two seasons, Thompson hauled in six interceptions and 10 passes defensed. It all added up to Thompson being one of the most effective slot defenders in coverage, according to PFF.
Though Thompson’s tackling is often considered his weak point, he’s shown a good-enough ability in crunch time. Thompson was at the top of the Pac-12 in defensive stops, according to PFF, showing he’s capable of bringing down ball carriers when he needs to.
Given Thompson’s all-around ability as a defensive back, he could find his draft value going up. Regardless of what type of defensive scheme a team runs, they can always find room for a defensive back that is all over the field and makes big plays. The Ravens are no exception to that as we saw with them signing safety Earl Thomas this offseason.
Projected draft round:
Barring Thompson’s NCAA violation being for something truly heinous, his red flag isn’t nearly as bad as other supplemental draft prospects we’ve seen. Thompson is a player that should see the field as a rookie, even if it’s in a rotational role at safety or as a slot cornerback until he develops a little further. Considering that value to play multiple spots on defense, it makes him a really intriguing prospect here.
Normally, I’d project Thompson as a second or third-round prospect in the NFL draft. However, being in the supplemental draft dings that value a little bit, pushing him down into the third round pretty firmly in my book.
Sadly, I don’t think Baltimore will be in the market for Thompson unless he falls a great deal further than where I’m projecting — perhaps putting a flier fifth-round pick in for him. They simply don’t have the room on the roster for him with Thomas, Tony Jefferson, DeShon Elliott, Chuck Clark and Tavon Young already on the team filling the roles I’d expect Thompson to be asked to fill as a rookie.
Marcus Simms, WR, West Virginia
Simms was originally expected to transfer after a violation of the school’s code of conduct, according to Alex Hickey of WVU Sports. Simms also had two DUI arrests in 2017, according to Allan Taylor of WVU Sports. However, his off-field issues could be ignored if a team thinks they can rein him in with a tough locker room and coaching staff.
Simms has been impressive on the field at West Virginia. Over the last two seasons, Simms has caught 81 passes for 1,362 yards and seven touchdowns over 23 games. Perhaps more important is Simms’ special-teams ability. As a return specialist, Simms has returned 41 kickoffs for 992 yards — a 24.2 yard-per-return average. He’s also returned 23 punts for 157 yards as well.
Even after adding talent at wide receiver over the last two NFL drafts, the Ravens could still use more of it heading into training camp. Baltimore was in attendance for Simms’ workout prior to the supplemental draft, showing at least a basic level of interest in the prospect. With further questions around who will return kicks and punts this season, Simms could be an intriguing prospect for the Ravens.
At 6-foot-0 and 195 pounds, Simms has good size but is a little thin. However, Simms has deep speed (4.4-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, according to Hickey), solid hands, good ball-tracking skills and an ability to make defenders miss with the ball in his hands. Those are all things Baltimore clearly coveted in the 2019 NFL draft, meaning Simms should be an asset on offense as well as his special-teams prowess.
Projected draft round:
In a way, it’s easy to think of Simms as a discount version of Marquise Brown. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Simms go in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL supplemental draft. Whether the Ravens are the ones to invest a mid-round pick for a prospect that has had routine off-field issues is one they’ve surely talked extensively about.
But with the investment at wide receiver already, I’m not too sure Simms is worth the potential trouble at that high of a draft pick. Though he projects to be a great deep threat, Baltimore was able to find a similar talent level in the later rounds and in undrafted prospects over the last two years. A fifth or sixth-round pick might be worth the high-risk/high-reward scenario Simms presents but anything more for a player that might not even make the final 53-man roster seems sketchy at best.
