Given the excitement over the term “draft” when it comes to football fans, there’s no denying that even the supplemental version of it creates such a spark of interest. But this year, Terrelle Pryor’s entry into the 2011 NFL Supplemental Draft has fans talking, scouts scrambling and teams potentially risking a future pick on the Ohio State product. Today’s the finally the day that Pryor will find out his future home.
But what exactly is the NFL’s Supplemental Draft? How does it work. Here’s a quick rundown for you.
The Supplemental Draft does not operate in the same way the April version of the NFL Draft. Here, each NFL franchise submits a closed or secret bid with what round they would choose the player in a regular draft.. The team then loses that draft pick in the next year’s draft. If it sounds easy enough, that’s because it really is, since players are taken so rarely. Only 40 players have been taken in the 34 year history of the draft.
The types of players that fall through the cracks are those ineligible for the NFL Draft, but who became open for the Supplemental Draft because of their college eligibility issues. Other players have had off-the-field problems or legal woes that kept them from looking forward to displaying their skills on the NCAA level this year. Either way, it’s usually an eyebrow-raising scenario that almost certainly keeps ultra-conservative GMs from even scouting such players.
The Kansas City Chiefs are currently enjoying the spoils of the Supplemental Draft, since Jared Gaither is on the roster — the last impact player taken in any SD. Last year, the Cowboys selected Illinois’ DT Josh Brent and the Chicago Bears selected BYU RB Harvey Unga. Others who have been chosen in the Supplemental Draft include some of the greatest names in recent NFL history including receiver Cris Carter, quarterbacks Steve Walsh and Bernie Kosar and OL Mike Wahle.
The Supplemental Draft takes place at 1pm ET/12 CT today.