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Adonis Alexander

Supplemental Draft Notes: Beal, Bryant

July 10th, 2018 at 12:09pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL’s supplemental draft will take place on Wednesday and the football world is buzzing about former Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal. One scouting analysts for ESPN believes that he is worthy of a second-round grade in terms of talent.

“I think he’s going to be a starter within three years for whatever team drafts him,” ESPN.com’s Steve Muench said, “and a really good starter at that. You have someone with that frame and those skills, and that’s what teams look for.”

Beal offers good size for the cornerback position at 6’1″ and ran a 4.47-second 40-yard-dash during a recent workout. He is widely projected to go within the first three rounds, becoming the first player taken in the supplemental draft in years.

Here’s more on Beal and the other entrants in the supplemental draft:

  • Mississippi State defensive back Brandon Bryant also has an opportunity to be drafted. Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com offers up a scouting report for the three-year starter, noting that he offers good size and serious athleticism. Although he is fluid and fast in coverage, Pauline dings him for his lack of physicality and sense of urgency. Pauline predicts that he’ll be taken in the sixth-round on Wednesday.
  • When it comes to Beal, Pauline lauds the Western Michigan product for his outstanding closing speed and explosive nature. On the flipside, he feels that Beal does not demonstrate great recognition in zone coverage and notes that his instincts are suspect. Beal – who was said to be in the first-round range for the 2019 draft – should go in the second or third round in Pauline’s estimation.
  • Nat Newell of the Indy Star wonders if the Colts could place a bid on Beal, Bryant, or Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander given their needs in the secondary. With size and the ability to excel in zone coverage, Alexander could be of particular interest to GM Chris Ballard.
  • In addition to the aforementioned three players, Oregon State linebacker Bright Ugwoegbu and Grand Valley State running back Martayveus Carter are also eligible to be drafted. However, their odds of being selected are reportedly slim.

AFC North Notes: Browns, Bengals, Sutton

July 8th, 2018 at 3:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Several new defensive backs will see action for the Browns this season. Denzel Ward, Damarious Randall, T.J. Carrie and E.J. Gaines are now in the mix in Cleveland. But the team with the top bidding spots in the upcoming supplemental draft is doing its homework on the available DBs. John Dorsey attended Western Michigan safety Sam Beal‘s pro day, and Zac Jackson of The Athletic notes the Browns are studying up on supplemental cornerbacks Adonis Alexander (Virginia Tech) and Mississippi State safety Brandon Bryant. The Browns’ 0-16 finish last season guarantees them the first bid position in this non-televised event, so if Cleveland is willing to sacrifice a third-round pick in the 2019 draft, its move would beat any other team that’s willing to part with a third-rounder to the punch. Jackson adds that only Ward and Randall’s jobs look certain this season, with competition set to commence for the other three primary roles in the secondary.

Here’s the latest from the AFC North:

  • On the subject of unsettled secondary situations, the Steelers look to feature training camp battles for the spots that Joe Haden and Morgan Burnett do not hold. The main uncertainty here going into camp looks to be 2017 third-rounder Cameron Sutton, whom Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes could settle in at outside corner, in the slot, or as Burnett’s running mate on the back end. While the 5-foot-11, 188-pound Sutton would make for a diminutive safety, he did receive reps there during the Steelers’ offseason program, per Rutter. Sutton started at cornerback for four seasons at Tennessee and is the Volunteers’ all-time leader in passes defensed. Artie Burns‘ job isn’t certain, per Rutter. Neither is Sean Davis‘. And with Terrell Edmunds set to factor into the mix, the Steelers could sport some interesting sub-packages this season.
  • The Bengals made a late-offseason personnel change. Christian Sarkisian will join the scouting staff as a scouting assistant, per Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Formerly the assistant director of player personnel at Northwestern for a year, Sarkisian will join an eight-person Bengals scouting staff.
  • The tight end who serves as the Bengals’ Tyler Eifert injury insurance, Tyler Kroft is hoping for a long-term extension to stay in Cincinnati.
  • UDFA Janarion Grant may have the inside track to succeed Michael Campanaro as the Ravens’ return man.

Albert Breer On NFL Supplemental Draft

July 2nd, 2018 at 12:16pm CST by Zachary Links

This year’s supplemental draft figures to be the most exciting in years. Those who have been keeping up with Pro Football Rumors in recent weeks are already familiar with Sam Beal, the former Western Michigan cornerback who many say could have been a first-round pick in the 2019 draft. Besides Beal, there’s also former Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander to consider, a player with tremendous measurables and real NFL upside.

There are others in this year’s class, but Albert Breer of The MMQB hears that Beal and Alexander may wind up as the only players selected. That’s bad news for Mississippi State safety Brandon Bryant, who recently drew 40 scouts to his pro day.

“He’s a nightmare discipline-wise,” one AFC college director said. “Very unreliable, plays outside the scheme, not reliable in coverage, his eyes are all over the place. Just can’t trust him. He’s physical and quick and fast. Should he be draftable? Sure. But with all the other stuff …”

The odds seem even dimmer for Oregon State linebacker Bright Ugwoegbu and Grand Valley State running back Martayveus Carter. Although he has some starting experience in college, Ugwoegbu has the size of the safety and clocked in at his pro day with the speed of a defensive tackle. Carter’s size is also working against him as evaluators feel he does not have the necessary bulk to break tackles and run inside at the pro level.

So, while Bryant, Ugwoegbu, and Carter may have a hard time convincing teams to forfeit a 2019 draft pick for them, it sounds like Beal and Alexander are very much on the radar. Beal may have some maturity issues, but that shouldn’t prevent him from finding an NFL home on July 11.

“He’s the more talented cover guy [compared to Alexander],” said an AFC scouting director. “A pure cover guy, fits a lot of schemes. He’s a skinny dude, and even though he presses well, you look at his body, how well does he project? … He’s not a bad guy, just kind of a knucklehead. The kind who’ll wear the wrong color socks or miss curfew or have 25 parking tickets and not pay them off.”

Meanwhile, Breer hears that Alexander’s size could make him a fit for the Seahawks. His 40-yard-dash time at his pro day might not have helped him, as he clocked in at 4.50 seconds on one run and 4.60 on another.

“If he’d run faster, I wouldn’t have been shocked to see him in the second or third round,” said an NFC exec. “I think the absolute highest he’d go now is third round. He’s so big and long.”

Latest On Darqueze Dennard

July 1st, 2018 at 12:46pm CST by Rory Parks

Bengals CB Darqueze Dennard will play out the 2018 season under the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, so he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next offseason. After an underwhelming and injury-plagued first three years in the league, the Michigan State product turned in a strong 2017, mostly as a slot corner, and he has set himself up for a nice payday if he replicates that performance in 2018 (which would also make for a difficult business decision for Cincinnati).

As Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes, the Bengals have proven that they are willing to pay when it comes to cover corners. And Dennard believes he can not only be a good slot corner, but that he can handle opposing receivers outside the numbers as well, which he showed flashes of last season. The team has previously indicated that it would be open to extending Dennard, despite the investments it has already made in fellow corners Dre Kirkpatrick and William Jackson III, but Dennard himself is not sure if he’s ready for that conversation just yet.

He said, “That’s something that I think me and my agent and my family will have to sit down and talk about. But I mean, when that time come, the time come. I’m not pressed on it. I’ve got some goals that I have personally that I gotta work on, on the football field.”

He then suggested that he may be interested in testing the open market, as he smiled and added, “You know how defensive backs is anyway – we like to gamble. So I’m not too much sure how I feel any way about it.”

In any event, Dennard is slated to earn $8.526MM in 2018, which actually makes him the 21st-highest paid CB in the game. He will look to build on a 2017 campaign that saw him post career highs in forced fumbles (one), interceptions (two), sacks (two), passes defensed (six), solo (61) and total tackles (85).

In other Bengals news, Owczarski reports that the team has shown interest in supplemental draft prospects Sam Beal and Adonis Alexander, both of whom are cornerbacks who could theoretically replace Dennard in 2019.

East Notes: Beal, Wake, Giants

July 1st, 2018 at 12:16pm CST by Rory Parks

Sam Beal is widely considered to be the best prospect in this year’s supplemental draft, and most NFL talent evaluators think he will fall somewhere in the first three rounds of the draft. A tall corner who has the fluidity and speed of a smaller DB, some believe Beal has first-round talent, so he has generated plenty of discussion since he declared for the supplemental draft last month. Gil Brandt of SiriusXM says the Bills, who have an extra fourth-round pick in the 2019 draft, could be a fit for Beal (Twitter link). Meanwhile, John Keim of ESPN.com says the Redskins have interest in Beal as well as fellow supplemental draft prospects Adonis Alexander and Brandon Bryant, but Mike Reiss of ESPN.com says the Patriots are unlikely to select one of those players even though they have the 2019 draft capital to do so.

Now let’s round up a few more notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • Reiss believes that the Patriots, who selected OL Isaiah Wynn with their No. 23 overall selection in this year’s draft, also considered Alabama WR Calvin Ridley in that spot. Although New England’s need for a quality offensive lineman may have swung the pendulum in Wynn’s favor, Reiss also believes the team is more comfortable projecting an offensive lineman to the NFL than a receiver, which made Wynn an easier choice.
  • Though he is 36 years old, Dolphins DE Cameron Wake is still a highly-productive pass rusher, having posted 10.5 sacks last season. Despite that, and despite the fact that he is entering a contract year, Wake has no issues with the team’s decision to use a rotation that it hopes will keep him fresh in 2018. Per Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post, Wake said, “I want to do whatever is going to help the entirety of the team, the entirety of the defense. So, if it means me being a third-down guy, let’s do it. If it means I have to start and play every down, I’ll take that role on, too.”
  • Matt Lombardo of NJ.com does not think the Giants will be players in the supplemental draft, and he says that, while UDFA wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo has looked good in spring practices, even a strong training camp and preseason will likely only get him another chance on Big Blue’s taxi squad, where he finished the 2017 campaign. Of course, a good showing could get the former Maryland and Syracuse product a shot on a different club.
  • Many expected Chad Wheeler to push Ereck Flowers for the Giants‘ starting right tackle job this year, but as Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com writes, Flowers has gotten all of the first-team reps at RT thus far. Dunleavy says Wheeler’s job as the team’s swing tackle is safe, but barring injury, it looks like Flowers will be the right tackle in 2018. However, Flowers is entering a contract year, so Wheeler may get a chance to start in 2019 if he performs well in the swing tackle role.
  • Earlier today, we heard that Redskins HC Jay Gruden may be looking for a new job in 2019 if his club turns in another so-so performance in 2018.

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.

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.