The NFL’s annual supplemental draft will take place July 12. Only two prospects, Georgia Military College defensive end Tavares Bingham and Western New Mexico running back Marques Rodgers, are eligible this year, as Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout first reported (on Twitter).
The 6-foot-4, 290-pound Bingham divided his amateur career between Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and GMC, and he collected 12 tackles and three sacks at the latter institution in six games in 2015. Bingham didn’t play last season because he had exhausted his junior college eligibility and, according to GMC head coach Bert Williams, didn’t have the grades to transfer to a four-year school (via Chase Goodbread of NFL.com).
Like Bingham, Rodgers didn’t take the field last season because of academic ineligibility. Rodgers was a standout the previous year, though, as he picked up 1,283 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rusher and added 61 catches.
Using a supplemental pick on either of these players would cost a team a corresponding selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. For instance, because the Rams used a supplemental fifth-rounder on offensive tackle Isaiah Battle in 2015, they had to give up a fifth-rounder in the ensuing NFL draft. While there were six prospects in last year’s supplemental draft, none came off the board. Those players immediately became unrestricted free agents.
So what happens if they don’t get picked up in the supplemental draft do they become free agents?
Yes. Just added that to the post as clarification. Thanks.
I didn’t look this up (so I might be wrong), but I think the Rams were the team to pick Battle a few years ago
Thank you for pointing that out. Fixed.