HEADLINES

2018 Supplemental Draft News & Rumors

Adonis Alexander Meets With 4 Teams Ahead Of Supplemental Draft

June 24th, 2018 at 7:03pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

This year’s Supplemental Draft is shaping up as the best in recent memory. There are several draft-able players, and the most intriguing prospect for teams might be Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander. Alexander was kicked off the Hokies’ team due to academic issues and announced his intention to enter the Supplemental Draft a few weeks ago.

Any team can select Alexander, but whatever round they take him in, they’ll forfeit that round’s selection in the regular 2019 draft. The Browns notably used a second round pick in the Supplemental Draft to take Josh Gordon in 2012. Alexander recently held his Pro Day, which was attended by 26 teams.

A few of those teams showed additional interest in Alexander and met with him separately. Alexander met with representatives from the Jets, Saints, Chiefs, and Colts, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com. All four teams could use help on their defense and are strong candidates to take a flyer on Alexander. Pauline currently projects Alexander as going in the third round of the Supplemental Draft.

Pauline thinks Alexander’s “length, balls skills and arm size (over 32 inches) will be very attractive to NFL teams” and noted that had Alexander returned to Virginia Tech for his senior season, he would’ve been graded by scouts as one of the top cornerback prospects in the nation.

Alexander isn’t the only talented secondary player eligible for the draft. He’s joined by safety Brandon Bryant from Mississippi State, and cornerback Sam Beal from Western Michigan. Although there’s only been two players selected in the past six years, this year’s Supplemental Draft has the potential to be very active.

West Notes: Seahawks, Thomas, Raiders

June 21st, 2018 at 1:20pm CST by Zachary Links

After safety Earl Thomas skipped the Seahawks‘ mandatory minicamp, ESPN.com writers huddled up suggest hypothetical trade scenarios for the Pro Bowler. The Cowboys and Chargers, they say, could offer draft picks, while the Patriots’ beat writer suggests a one-for-one deal with right guard Shaq Mason going to Seattle.

If a trade happens, any team acquiring Thomas will have to hammer out an extension with him. Writer Dan Graziano, playing the part of Thomas’ agent, proposes a four-year, $56MM extension starting in 2019, which would make him the league’s highest-paid safety ($14MM/year) in terms of new money. He also suggests $32MM in total cash flow between 2018 and 2019, which would give Thomas ample security as he enters his age-29 season.

While you ponder whether a team would be willing to part with significant compensation and give Thomas that sort of deal, let’s take a look at more items from the West divisions:

Latest On Virginia Tech’s Adonis Alexander

June 19th, 2018 at 1:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander is a popular man these days. In advance of July’s supplemental draft, at least 26 NFL teams will attend his pro day on Wednesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Meanwhile, he’ll sit down with seven clubs and will even visit a team on Wednesday. 

With more than 80% of the league watching him work out, it seems likely that Alexander will be drafted next month if he performs well. It’s never a given that players in the supplemental draft will actually come off of the board as teams are required to sacrifice the equivalent pick for the following year’s rookie draft.

In the past six years, only two players have been selected in the supplemental draft – Josh Gordon (Browns, 2012) and Isaiah Battle (Rams, 2015). Since 1977, only 43 players have been selected in total.

Alexander was the first notable entrant into this year’s supplemental draft, but he has been overshadowed to some extent by former Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal. Beal was projected to be taken high in the 2019 NFL draft and NFL personnel people reportedly believe he’s likely to go somewhere in the first three rounds in July.

Safety Brandon Bryant Approved For Supplemental Draft

June 16th, 2018 at 11:16am CST by Ben Levine

There will be another talented defensive back available in this year’s supplemental draft. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that Mississippi State safety Brandon Bryant‘s applications for the draft has been approved (via Logan Reardon of NFL.com).

Bryant had esetablisehd himself as one of the top safeties in the SEC. In three years with the school, the safety compiled 157 tackles and five interceptions in 37 games. After Mississippi State hired Joe Moorhead as their new head coach, Bryant announced that he’d be leaving the program. Presumably, he was too late to the apply for the NFL draft, forcing him to opt for this alternative.

Of course, despite his talent, it’s uncertain if a team will be willing to take a flyer on the defensive back. If a player is selected during any of the supplemental draft’s seven rounds, the team will have to sacrifice the equivalent pick for the following year’s rookie draft. As Reardon points out, there have only been 43 players selected since 1977, including two in the past six years (the Browns selected wideout Josh Gordon in 2012 while the Rams selected Isaiah Battle in 2015).

Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander and Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal are also eligible for the supplemental draft.

Extra Points: XFL, 2019 draft, Beal, Seahawks, Carroll

June 11th, 2018 at 5:08pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

For draftniks and hardcore fans of the NFL, it’s never too early to start looking at next year’s draft. That’s why Matt Miller of Bleacher Report recently broke down who NFL scouts see as the best prospects in 2019. Miller noted scouts are busy “building profiles, researching backgrounds and character and talking to college coaches about top players” before he gave an “early look” at the consensus top 10.

Defensive end Nick Bosa, younger brother of Chargers pass-rusher Joey Bosa, unsurprisingly checks in at number one. Bosa has dominated for Ohio State the past two seasons and is almost a lock to turn pro after his upcoming junior season. A scout told Miller, “I love Nick Bosa. I wasn’t 100 percent sure on Joey coming out (stupid me), but I won’t make that mistake twice. He’s the real deal. Excellent instincts and feel for the quarterback as a young rusher.”

It wouldn’t be at all surprising to hear Roger Goodell call Bosa’s name as the number one overall pick in 2019. After you’ve finished checking out the rest of the list, here’s more from around the football world:

  • Many wondered why Oliver Luck would leave his cushy job as an executive with the NCAA for a seemingly risky position as CEO and Commissioner of the upstart XFL. That question has apparently been answered now that it’s been reported Luck was offered a guaranteed $20MM from the XFL over a period of a few years that has a chance to grow to $30MM depending on the success of the league (Twitter link via the Wall Street Journal’s Rachel Bachman).
  • Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal, who recently announced his intention to enter the NFL’s 2018 Supplemental Draft, will have his Pro Day on June 28th (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). Rapoport notes that the event “should be well-attended” by scouts. Adam Schefter of ESPN recently tweeted that Beal could be the highest player selected in the Supplemental Draft since the Browns used a second round pick on Josh Gordon in 2012.
  • In a recent column, Albert Breer of SI.com writes that Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is taking a positive view on the departure of a slew of veteran players from his roster saying Carroll views it as “a chance, at age 66, to sell the bedrock of his program—competition—all over again. It got a little hard, as the above core came to prominence, to keep selling the idea that every spot was up for grabs. It’s not so difficult to sell anymore.” 

Bengals Notes: Atkins, Flowers, Worley, Supplemental Draft

June 10th, 2018 at 12:09pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins is one of several stars around the league waiting to get paid. Entering the last year of his contract, he’s also one of several Bengals waiting to get paid. Defensive end Carlos Dunlap has made waves this offseason by staying away from OTAs and making it clear that he wants a new contract, but Atkins is the better player and likely the player the team wants to lock up first. The Bengals view Atkins as a priority according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, who writes an extension is “an absolute must. Like sunrise or high tide. They know they need him.”

Hobson thinks the Bengals will do everything they can to ensure the three-time All-Pro doesn’t become a free agent at the end of this season. He thinks the wait for a new deal may have something to do with Aaron Donald and the Rams. As Donald awaits his new deal that may make him the highest paid defensive player in the league, Hobson thinks if “Donald signs before him it will make it easier” for Atkins to sign since it will “set the parameters” by resetting the market for defensive tackles.

One way or another, it looks like something will get done and that Atkins will be a Bengal for years to come.

Here’s more from Cincinnati:

  • The Bengals could be active in this year’s Supplemental NFL Draft, according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Although the Bengals haven’t taken anyone in the Supplemental Draft since 2006, Owczarski thinks this years crop of eligible players are the type of players the Bengals like, writing “this year’s supplemental draft group might pique the Bengals interest.” He thinks the players who have announced “fit positions and physical traits that suit the Bengals” and that since the Bengals have a bunch of late-round picks for the 2019 draft, they might be willing to use one or more of them in the Supplemental Draft.
  • Hobson thinks undrafted linebacker Chris Worley will have “every chance to make” the Bengals’ roster. A rookie from Ohio State, Worley has reportedly impressed during OTAs and Hobson gives him a good shot at making the team due to linebacker Vontaze Burfict’s four-game suspension to start the season.
  • Quinton Flowers is a “long shot” to make the team, according to Hobson. Flowers was a quarterback at South Florida, but switched positions to running back after signing with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent. If he does manage to make the team, Hobson thinks he’ll play a hybrid role as “the third QB, fourth running back, seventh wide receiver and second or third returner.”

Sam Beal To Enter Supplemental Draft

June 6th, 2018 at 10:37am CST by Zachary Links

Former Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal and Mississippi State safety Brandon Bryant are set to apply for the NFL’s supplemental draft, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Beal, in particular, will be of interest to NFL teams as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that he could become highest player selected since Browns used a second-round supplemental pick on Josh Gordon in 2012. 

[RELATED: Virginia Tech CB Adonis Alexander To Enter Supplemental Draft]

Beal was already projected to be taken high in the 2019 NFL draft and NFL personnel people believe he’s likely to fall somewhere in the first three rounds, according to Schefter. In the last decade, only Gordon and Terrelle Pryor have been selected in the top three rounds of the supplemental draft.

Bryant isn’t as big of a name as Beal in draft circles, but he also offers potential. At Mississippi State, he was said to have posted a team-high 4.24-second time in the 40-yard dash.

The supplemental draft allows 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.

Since the supplemental draft was created in 1977 only 43 players have been selected. Beal seems to be a lock to become the next player tapped, while Bryant and Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander also have a chance at being selected.

Adonis Alexander To Enter Supplemental Draft

June 1st, 2018 at 2:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Virginia Tech has dismissed cornerback Adonis Alexander from its football program due to academic issues, as Andy Bitter of The Roanoke Times writes. Now, Alexander will enter the NFL’s Supplemental Draft, according to agent Andy Ross (on Twitter).

“We wish Adonis the very best as he determines the next steps he wishes to pursue,” head coach Justin Fuente said in a press release.

Alexander’s tenure at Virginia Tech was marred by off-the-field issues. The senior missed three games over the course of his collegiate career due to suspensions and at least one of those bans stemmed from marijuana use. In April, he was forced to watch spring practice from the sidelines as he was ordered to focus on his studies.

As a freshman in 2015, Alexander impressed scouts as he intercepted four passes at the safety position. He followed up with a strong sophomore campaign, but he found himself at odds with coaches in 2017 and was hit with a two-game ban for not living up to the “expectations” of Fuente. He was also held back by a hamstring injury suffered in November.

The supplemental draft allows 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.

It remains to be seen whether a team will sacrifice a 2019 draft pick in order to take a flier on Alexander, who has lots of baggage to go along with his size and talent. No team has made a selection in the supplemental draft in the last three years.