HEADLINES

2019 Supplemental Draft

Devonaire Clarington Enters Supplemental Draft

June 27th, 2019 at 12:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Former University of Texas commit Devonaire Clarington will enter the NFL’s supplemental draft, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter). The tight end never suited up for the Longhorns due to academic issues, but he’s hoping to find a spot in the league.

Clarington was ranked as the fourth-best tight end in the 2015 class when he signed up with the University of Texas. Unfortunately, academic issues kept him off of the field. After leaving UT, the tight end played at Blinn Junior College and, most recently, at Northland Community College.

At NCC, Clarington recorded 48 catches for 916 yards and eleven touchdowns. The low level of competition means that those stats won’t carry much weight with NFL evaluators, but Clarington could be poised to impress during his workout on July 8. The 6’6″ tight end reportedly runs a 4.6 second 40-yard-dash and boasts a max squat of 450 pounds.

Clarington is the third entrant into July’s supplemental draft, joining former Syracuse linebacker Shyheim Cullen and former West Virginia wide receiver Marcus Simms.

Shyheim Cullen Enters Supplemental Draft

June 21st, 2019 at 5:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

A second name is now in the supplemental draft mix. Syracuse linebacker Shyheim Cullen has submitted his name for the summer draft, Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk reports.

Cullen announced his paperwork for the midsummer event has been approved, and while no date has been publicly set, the linebacker broke some news in including “July 10” in his draft-related comment. The 2018 supplemental draft occurred on July 11.

He joins West Virginia wide receiver Marcus Simms in the draft pool. A three-year Orange contributor, Cullen was academically suspended from school before the spring semester. The NCAA ruling him ineligible, Cullen announced in May he would seek a spot in the supplemental draft.

Two players were selected in last year’s supplemental draft, with the Giants and Redskins respectively choosing defensive backs Sam Beal and Adonis Alexander. But Cullen has not put together much of a draftable resume. Part of Syracuse’s first-string defense for only part of one season, Cullen’s career-high for tackles is 31. Prior to 2018, he was a special-teamer for the ACC program.

Nevertheless, the supplemental draft now has two entries — both from programs that played in the 2018 Camping World Bowl.

Marcus Simms Enters Supplemental Draft

June 20th, 2019 at 1:44pm CST by Zachary Links

West Virginia wide receiver Marcus Simms has filed paperwork to enter the supplemental draft, Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com tweets. Simms is expected to work out for teams in early July. 

This spring, Simms entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal, signaling a desire to play for a different school. Instead, he’ll go pro with one year of college eligibility remaining.

Simms hauled in 87 career receptions for 1,457 yards and eight touchdowns with the Mountaineers, but fell out of favor under new head coach Neal Brown. He skipped most of the team’s spring practices due to a reported hamstring injury, but Brown later said that the receiver was dealing with a personal issue.

No date has been set for the 2019 NFL Supplemental Draft just yet, but it’s likely to take place in mid-July.