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What is NFL Supplemental Draft? All You Need to Know
Find out everything related to the NFL supplemental draft. What it is and why it was introduced in the league.
Each year, during the lull between mid-June and late July, the NFL would hold a supplemental draft to assist players in finding employment. Yet, in a surprising twist, the NFL has opted to forgo the supplemental draft for the 2024 season. This draft was created to support college football players who were ineligible for the upcoming season following the regular draft.
To help such players avoid wasting an entire year, the supplemental draft was introduced. However, it appears that the league didn’t have much success with it. To enter the supplemental draft, players need to file a petition, but that doesn’t guarantee their inclusion in the draft.
What is a Supplemental draft?
The supplemental draft is an annual event introduced by the NFL in 1977 to provide a second chance for players who missed the regular NFL draft. It typically occurs during the summer, filling the dead period between mid-June and late July.
To be eligible for the supplemental draft, players must have been out of high school for at least three years. This draft serves as a rescue for players who, due to academic or disciplinary issues, or other circumstances, are ruled out of the upcoming college football season and missed the regular draft.
Unlike the regular draft, the supplemental draft is not telecasted and is much shorter, in contrast to the three-day regular draft event. Players who wish to enter the supplemental draft must file a petition, though this does not guarantee their inclusion.
In the supplemental draft, the team with the fewest wins from the previous season gets the first pick. Despite its challenges and the decision to skip the supplemental draft for the 2024 season, some teams have managed to find promising players through this process.
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Teams with promising picks in the supplemental draft
One of the several teams that benefited from it was the Cleveland Browns. The Browns picked wide receiver Josh Gordon in 2012 who lodged the record of highest receiving yards in a single season in the franchise history. Moreover, the last player who got selected was Jalen Thompson by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019.
After 2019, the NFL missed out on the supplemental draft for three consecutive years. And in 2023 two players were eligible for the draft, but they weren’t selected. However, in 2024, again the supplemental draft will be skipped, and it looks like the league might put an end to it for good.
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