The NFL supplemental draft is set to go live at 1 PM ET today and we’re here to give you the nuts and bolts of how it all works.
The annual event serves as a last-ditch effort for NFL teams to add some young talent to their roster before training camp opens.
Only seven players have been selected in the last nine years but there’s some intriguing talent available today.
Why do players enter the supplemental draft, you ask? It’s usually due to an eligibility issue that puts their upcoming season in question. Being selected by an NFL team during this period would put an end to those issues.
How does the league decide which players go where?
A bidding system is used. The team with the highest bid is awarded that player. If the winning bid is a second round pick, then that team forfeits their second round pick in the next NFL draft.
Let’s take a look at three players we believe may be selected today:
Jalen Thompson, S, Washington State: Hands down the best player available today, Thompson is ineligible for the upcoming season due to the purchase of an over-the-counter supplement. A three-year starter, Thompson totaled 190 tackles and six interceptions in his NCAA career. He’s expected to get selected at some point today. We wouldn’t be surprised if the compensation matches what the New York Giants spent on Sam Beal a year ago when they used a third round pick.
Marcus Simms, WR, West Virginia: Simms is an exciting gadget player who hauled in 46 receptions last season for 699 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also a threat as both a kick and punt returner. We wouldn’t be surprised if a team used a sixth round selection on Simms’ big play ability.
Shyheim Cullen, LB, Syracuse: Cullen fit’s the mold of today’s linebacker. He comes in at 6-0, 224 pounds and started four games for the Orange in 2018. He finished the year with 31 tackles and one sack.
