Chase Clayton

Latest On 2014 Supplemental Draft

The NFL’s supplemental draft will take place tomorrow at noon central time, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), who lists the four players eligible to be selected: New Mexico wideout Chase Clayton, Virginia-Lynchburg defensive lineman LaKendrick Ross, SMU running back Traylon Shead, and UNC linebacker Darius Lipford. While we’d previously heard about the first three prospects, Lipford’s inclusion is new.

A year ago, none of the six players eligible for the supplemental draft were picked, and that may be the case again this year. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reported yesterday that no teams he’d spoken to had a draftable grade on any players eligible to be selected this year.

Still, many teams are at least doing their due diligence on this year’s supplemental draft class. The Bears, Cardinals, Chiefs, Colts, Eagles, Falcons, 49ers, Patriots, Raiders, Rams, and Texans reportedly attended the workout for Ross, while the Cowboys, Texans, Packers, Colts, Lions, Giants, Seahawks, Dolphins, and Bears were in attendance to watch Shead work out.

The supplemental draft is intended to accommodate players who missed the deadline for May’s NFL draft or were declared ineligible for another reason. If a team wants to select a player in the supplemental draft, it must let the league know the round in which it’s willing to select that player. The club which submits the highest round will receive the player and forfeit a 2015 draft pick in that same round. For instance, when the Browns used a second-round supplemental choice on Josh Gordon in 2012, it meant that the team lost its second-round pick for the 2013 draft.

Pompei Previews Supplemental Draft

The NFL’s supplemental draft is fast approaching, but it doesn’t look like there will be much action. Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei briefly previews the July draft and comes to the conclusion that it will be a “dud.”

At this moment, there only appears to be two players available: New Mexico wideout Chase Clayton and SMU running back Traylon Shead.

Clayton could potentially be a late-round pick “if he has a great workout”, a scout told Pompei. However, two other scouts were “dubious” about his chances. Clayton had a solid season in 2012, particularly in the return game. He returned 20 kicks for 608 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 209 yards on 32 carries. Last season, Clayton injured his knee in the team’s opening game against UTSA. The injury was expected to knock him out for two weeks, but Clayton ended up missing the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, Pompei’s scouts think less of Shead’s chances, but say he could be brought in for training camp and could eventually earn a practice squad spot. Shead had 51 rushes for 197 yards and three scores last season and was once a highly-regarded prospect. Nonetheless, Pompei’s scouts say that the player has “ball security problems and wasn’t a consistent pass-protector.”

The last time we saw a player selected in the supplemental draft was 2012, when the Browns selected wide receiver Josh Gordon in the second round.