2019 Supplemental Draft

Only One Player Taken In Supplemental Draft

The NFL’s Supplemental Draft on Wednesday concluded with only one player drafted. After the Cardinals chose Washington State’s Jalen Thompson in the fifth round, no other players were taken in the remaining two rounds.

The players who were not selected in the supplemental draft are now free to sign with any club. Those players are:

After Thompson, Simms was widely regarded as the best player in this year’s supplemental draft. The 6’0″ receiver averaged 16.7 yards per catch during his time with the Mountaineers and seems likely to land on a team’s 90-man roster.

Clarington, a one-time University of Texas commit, has also shown some impressive athleticism and potential at the JUCO level. He may also find work in the NFL, but he’s a raw prospect, even by supplemental draft standards.

NFL Supplemental Draft Order

The NFL’s Supplemental Draft order does not go by the inverted win/loss records of clubs. Instead, the order is dictated by a weighted lottery that uses a team’s win percentage as just part of the equation. Here, via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link) is the complete order of the supplemental draft:

1. Lions
2. Broncos
3. Jets
4. Cardinals
5. Giants
6. Bills
7. Raiders
8. 49ers
9. Jaguars
10. Packers
11. Bengals
12. Bucs
13. Falcons
14. Vikings
15. Redskins
16. Titans
17. Dolphins
18. Steelers
19. Panthers
20. Browns
21. Ravens
22. Patriots
23.Cowboys
24. Seahawks
25. Eagles
26. Texans
27. Bears
28. Colts
29. Saints
30. Chiefs
31. Chargers
32. Rams

The supplemental draft is conducted via email. If multiple teams submit a pick for the same player in the same round, this order dictates which club gets the player. Of course, any team picking a player in the supplemental draft will sacrifice the corresponding pick in the 2020 draft.

Latest On Jalen Thompson, Supplemental Draft

There are five known entrants for the NFL’s Supplemental Draft on Wednesday afternoon, but Jalen Thompson of Washington State is expected to be the only player selected, Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com hears. 

The defensive back has impressed on both a football level and personal level, making him a strong candidate to be picked. Based on Pauline’s conversations over the last two days, teams seem to view him as a fourth or fifth-round talent who will likely be swiped off the board in the sixth or seventh round.

So far, the Packers, Texans, and Arizona have shown the most interest in Thompson, Pauline hears. As previously reported, the Packers watched Thompson work out and flew him to Green Bay afterwards. The Texans, meanwhile, could use some safety help after failing to address the need in April’s draft. The Cardinals could also use some reinforcements in that area, but it’s not clear if they’ll add another prospect after tapping Deionte Thompson in the fifth round.

For what it’s worth, some in Arizona’s front office see Jalen Thompson as a better prospect than Deionte Thompson, Pauline hears. If J. Thompson is on the board after the fifth round, Pauline expects the Cardinals to place a bid.

The supplemental draft will take place at 1pm ET/noon CT on Wednesday.

Extra Points: Supplemental Draft, Bucs, McDowell, Wilkerson

The 2019 Supplemental Draft is tomorrow, and just like last year we could see a lot of action. Before last season, when two players were taken, there had only been one selection since 2013. This year, it seems likely that two players will get taken again, Washington State safety Jalen Thompson and West Virginia receiver Marcus Simms. Thompson is more highly regarded by the scouting community, and has been drawing a lot of interest. He met with the Packers earlier today, and 26 teams attended his workout yesterday. To help get you prepared for tomorrow, Dane Brugler of The Athletic studied game tape of both players and wrote up detailed scouting reports.

He notes that while Thompson is a “terrific athlete” and good in coverage, he’s also “undersized for the safety position.” There’s been some speculation that Thompson may have to switch to corner at the pro level. Brugler gives Thompson a third or fourth round grade. Brugler writes that Simms is a burner with excellent speed, but that his route-running isn’t very well developed. As a “best-case NFL player projection,” Brugler lists Kenny Stills, while giving Stills a fifth-to-seventh round grade. We’ll know the results of the draft tomorrow afternoon.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Things reportedly aren’t going well between rookie first-round pick Josh Jacobs and the Raiders. There’s a holdup in negotiations over his rookie deal, and it looks like Jacobs isn’t going to report to training camp in a couple of weeks. Don’t expect anything similar for linebacker Devin White and the Buccaneers. The fifth overall pick in April’s draft is going to sign “any day now,” and “you can bet he won’t miss a meeting,” writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). The Bucs are counting on White to play a huge role for their revamped defense, so it’s good to hear there’s no drama surrounding his contract.
  • A couple of weeks ago we heard that free agent defensive lineman Malik McDowell had been arrested, and now we have video of the incident, courtesy of TMZ Sports. In the video, McDowell can be seen getting tased, and then attempting to fight the arresting officer after pulling the taser prongs out. McDowell was drafted by the Seahawks in the second round back in 2017, but never played a game for them. He suffered serious injuries in an ATV accident before his rookie training camp, and the Seahawks never cleared him to return. McDowell has reportedly been cleared to play by independent doctors, and recently met with the Cowboys, but nothing materialized. Back in May, the Seahawks filed a lawsuit seeking to recoup some of McDowell’s signing bonus.
  • Free agent defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson is one of the biggest names left on the market. He was arrested for DWI at the beginning of June, which could be delaying his signing. Wilkerson recently appeared in court, and turned down a plea deal prosecutors offered him, per Shayna Jacobs and Sarah Valenzuela of the New York Daily News. Wilkerson’s attorney said it was “telling” that they offered the deal, and seemed confident his client would get off. After spending seven seasons with the Jets, Wilkerson signed a one-year deal with the Packers last season. A serious ankle injury ended his first year in Green Bay after just a few games. Wilkerson is still capable of playing at a high level, and should sign somewhere soon.

Packers Meet With Jalen Thompson

Former Washington State defensive back Jalen Thompson visited the Packers on Tuesday and took a physical, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. It’s yet another sign that the Packers’ reported interest in Thompson is serious ahead of Wednesday’s supplemental draft. 

The results of Thompson’s physical will be shared with the league’s 31 other teams, agent Brad Cicala tells Pelissero. Assuming it all checks out, Thompson is likely to be the first – and possibly only – supplemental draft pick selected on Wednesday.

Thompson lost his final year of NCAA eligibility when he reportedly purchased an over-the-counter supplement at a local nutrition store. A source told Theo Lawson of The Spokesman-Review that the supplement in question was not a steroid, but it was enough to bring the defensive back’s collegiate career to an end.

Thompson attained freshman All-America status in 2016, was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection as a sophomore, and wrapped up his Cougars career with six INTs. In 2018, he picked off two passes, made 66 tackles and forced a fumble.

The supplemental draft allows NFL teams to select players who, for one reason or another, were barred from entering the regular draft in the spring. If a team selects Thompson, or another player, in the supplemental draft, they’ll forfeit the corresponding pick in the regular draft next year.

Extra Points: CBA, Supplemental Draft, Saints, Onyemata

Everything we’ve heard so far indicates that discussions between the league and the NFLPA on a new CBA have been positive. Things seem so be going surprisingly smoothly, and earlier this week we heard the two sides hope to have a deal done before the 2019 season starts. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of issues to be resolved. As we track the negotiations this summer, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com is out with a great piece detailing the fight ahead.

Graziano broke down the nine biggest issues in the talks, and the whole article is well-worth a read. Graziano cautions that while everything seems positive for now, it’s “a complex negotiation with pitfalls.” Graziano writes that the owners have run out of money for stadiums that they were allotted in the previous CBA, and that’s “seen by many connected with the talks as the main reason the owners are interested in doing a new deal as soon as possible.” He writes that “they need money to help with stadium projects in places such as Buffalo, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Carolina, Washington and even Los Angeles, where Rams owner Stan Kroenke would likely enjoy a bit of league-sponsored help with his project.” If the players are going to allow the owners to take more money off the top for ‘stadium credits’ as they’re called, Graziano writes that they’ll demand a greater share of the net revenue in return.

Among many other interesting nuggets, Graziano notes that the players have a good shot of getting the ‘fully funded rule’ erased, which “requires teams to hold in escrow any portion of a player’s contract that is fully guaranteed.” It currently dissuades owners who might not want to tie up all the cash from giving out longterm guaranteed contracts, and doesn’t exist in any of the other major leagues.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • This year’s Supplemental Draft will be more intriguing than most. Washington State safety Jalen Thompson‘s entry into the draft ensured that there would be at least one player selected. We heard last week that Thompson had a 3-4th round grade on him before last season, but there’s another player with good shot of getting picked. Former West Virginia Marcus Simms is “likely to be chosen” as well, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Simms held a workout on Monday which was attended by half the league’s teams, including by Raiders GM Mike Mayock. The draft is scheduled for July 10th, so we should know pretty soon.
  • Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata was recently suspended for the first game of the 2019 season, but at least he won’t be facing any further legal trouble. Onyemata completed a diversion program and won’t be prosecuted in his marijuana case, per Ramon Antonio Vargas of NOLA.com. Unfortunately for Onyemata this didn’t all happen before the new CBA took effect, as the league is reportedly likely to stop punishing players for marijuana use. Onyemata, a 2016 fourth-round pick, has blossomed into a key contributor for the Saints, and New Orleans’ defensive line will be a bit thin in Week 1 with him and Sheldon Rankins both sidelined. Last year Onyemata played around 60 percent of the team’s defensive snaps as a run-stuffer, and received very strong marks from Pro Football Focus.

DB Bryant Perry Enters Supplemental Draft

It sounds like there’s another entrant in the upcoming 2019 NFL Supplemental Draft. According to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter), University of St. Francis (IL) defensive back Bryant Perry will be throwing his hat in the ring. The six-foot, 180-pound defender will be holding a workout in Chicago next Monday.

Perry played two seasons at Mesabi Range College in Minnesota before joining USF for the 2018 campaign. The defensive back ended up appearing in nine games (seven starts) for the Saints, compiling 24 tackles and three passes defended. It’s uncertain why Perry was ruled ineligible for the 2019 NCAA season, and considering his lack of hype, there’s a good chance he’ll go undrafted. At the very least, his decision to enter the supplemental draft will put him on the NFL radar.

As our own Zach Links detailed earlier today, the draft allows NFL teams to select players who, for one reason or another, were barred from entering the regular draft in the spring. When a team selects a player in the supplemental draft, they forfeit the corresponding pick in the regular draft next year. So, for example, if a team selects a player in the sixth round of the supplemental draft this year, they will have to give up their 2020 sixth-round selection.

Besides Perry, we know of four other players who will be entrants in this year’s class:

The 2019 NFL Supplemental Draft, So Far

The exact date for the 2019 NFL Supplemental Draft has not yet been announced, but it is certain to take place in the month of July. So far, we have four known entrants in this year’s class:

Thompson, the most recent addition to the pool, is the most interesting name in the bunch. Unlike Clarington, Cullen, and Simms, he’s a near lock to get drafted – scouts had him pegged as a third or fourth-round pick prior to last season and his upcoming workout on July 8 is expected to be heavily attended by pro scouts. At this time, it’s not clear why Thompson was ruled ineligible for the 2019 NCAA season but, barring something shocking, he’s expected to find a home in the supplemental draft.

Clarington also holds some intrigue. The one-time Texas commit has tremendous athleticism for a 6’6″ tight end, though he’ll have to impress in workouts if he wants to be selected.

The supplemental draft allows NFL teams to select players who, for one reason or another, were barred from entering the regular draft in the spring. When a team selects a player in the supplemental draft, they forfeit the corresponding pick in the regular draft next year. For example, if a team selects a player in the sixth round of the supplemental draft this year, they will have to give up their 2020 sixth round selection.

Extra Points: Redskins, Supplemental Draft, Jets

The Redskins are going to be one of the more interesting teams to monitor during training camp. They have a bunch of interesting storylines, none bigger than the battle between rookie Dwayne Haskins and Case Keenum to be the team’s starting quarterback. Speaking to Steve Wyche of NFL Network recently, Redskins GM Doug Williams indicated that the front office and even ownership would play a role in determining when Haskins starts (Twitter link).

Williams specifically indicated the decision would not be head coach Jay Gruden’s alone, saying that he, Gruden, team president Bruce Allen, and owner Dan Snyder would come together to make a decision. That news is sure to rile up Redskins fans, who have mixed feelings on Snyder, to put it nicely. Williams said he was excited about Haskins’ development, but made sure to emphasize they wouldn’t just throw him out there if he wasn’t ready. That’s the language any team is going to speak, and the part about it being a collaborative process is the real eyebrow-raiser here. Gruden appears to be coaching for his job this season, and Washington won’t be able to keep Haskins on the bench too long unless Keenum looks lights out during the preseason.

Here’s a couple of other notes from around the league on a slow Saturday evening:

  • The supplemental draft got a lot more interesting earlier today when Washington State safety Jalen Thompson announced he’d be entering. The three previous players to enter July’s supplemental draft weren’t too noteworthy, but Thompson is intriguing. Thompson seems like a near-lock to get drafted, and Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com tweets that scouts had given him a 3rd/4th round grade prior to last season. Pauline also notes that the three-year starter has scheduled a July 8th workout for NFL teams in Los Angeles. It’ll likely be heavily attended. While we don’t have the full details yet on why Thompson was ruled ineligible for the 2019 NCAA season and had to declare, Washington State did issue a statement, per Jessamyn McIntyre (Twitter link). In their statement, the Cougars simply said he lost his final season of eligibility “due to a violation of NCAA rules.”
  • The Jets took a gamble by drafting defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd in the third round last year, and so far it hasn’t paid off. Shepherd played at small-school Fort Hays State so he was a bit hard to scout, but the team banked on his upside when they took him 72nd overall. Shepherd played around 30 percent of the team’s defensive snaps as a rookie, but didn’t play particularly well and appears to be falling out of favor with the new coaching staff. While breaking down the team’s depth chart, Matt Stypulkoski of NJ.com writes that Shepherd’s stock has gone down so far this offseason, saying it “sure seems like it only took one season for Shepherd to turn into something of a forgotten man,” and adding that he “hasn’t proven enough.” There’s still a long way to go, so Shepherd could always find himself back in favor with Adam Gase, but right now things aren’t looking great.
  • In case you missed it, the Chiefs could reopen extension talks with Tyreek Hill now that it looks like he’ll emerge from the league’s investigation relatively cleanly.

Washington State S Jalen Thompson Entering Supplemental Draft

The 2019 supplemental draft now has four entrants, and the latest may have a good chance of enticing a team to sacrifice a 2020 draft pick.

Washington State safety Jalen Thompson will enter the July draft, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The three-year Cougars starter learned Friday he would be ineligible for the 2019 season, which would have been his senior year at the Pac-12 program.

Thompson attained freshman All-America status in 2016 and was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection as a sophomore. In 2018, he picked off two passes, made 66 tackles and forced a fumble. Thompson wrapped up his Cougars career with six INTs. The Downey, Calif., native, per Rapoport, has a good chance of being selected next month. Should a team do so, it must forfeit its corresponding pick in next year’s standard draft.

A former three-star recruit as a cornerback, Thompson is the second defender to enter this year’s summer event. He joins less heralded Syracuse linebacker Shyheim Cullen. West Virginia wide receiver Marcus Simms and one-time Texas tight end commit Devonaire Clarington have also put their names in the supplemental pool.