Analysis
7/10/23
4 min read
Everything You Need to Know About the 2023 NFL Supplemental Draft
The NFL will hold a Supplemental Draft for the first time since 2019 on Tuesday, July 11, with two receiver prospects looking to be selected.
How Does the Supplemental Draft Work?
Instituted in 1977, the Supplemental Draft enables players in unique situations to enter the NFL. If a player could not declare for the NFL Draft for one reason or another and can't return to college football, they can petition the NFL to enter the Supplemental Draft.
The draft order for the Supplemental Draft is based on a draft lottery which divides teams into three separate groups:
- Teams that won six or fewer games in the previous season.
- Non-playoff teams
- Playoff teams
On the day of the Supplemental Draft, after each team has been assigned its spot, teams can place a bid on players entered in the draft. To bid, teams let the NFL know which specific future draft pick they’d like to bid with based on the round.
The team that places the earliest round bid on a player wins. If two teams bid the same round on the same player, the team with the higher lottery priority will be awarded the player. A team that is outbid will retain its draft pick.
The most recent Supplemental Draft pick was safety Jalen Thompson in 2019. The Arizona Cardinals bid a fifth-round pick to select Thompson, forfeiting their fifth-round selection in the 2020 draft.
Since then, Thompson has become a success story, signing a three-year, $36 million extension this offseason.
In total, 46 players have been selected in the Supplemental Draft’s history. Some notable names include WR/QB Terrelle Pryor (third round, 2011), LB Ahmad Brooks (third round, 2006), WR Josh Gordon (second round, 2012), QB Bernie Kosar (first round, 1985) and WR Cris Carter (fourth round, 1987).
Which Players Have Entered?
This year, two wide receivers have petitioned to enter the Supplemental Draft: Purdue’s Milton Wright and Jackson State’s Malachi Wideman. See below for a detailed breakdown of each player.
Purdue WR Milton Wright
Wright entered the Supplemental Draft after being ruled academically ineligible for the 2022 season. In 2021, he caught 57 passes for 732 yards and seven touchdowns while playing alongside Cleveland Browns third-round pick David Bell.
Phil Steele selected Wright, who has started 23 NCAA games, as a fourth-team All-Big 10 pick after his 2021 performance. Wright was expected to take a leap forward as the team’s top target in 2022 before his season was derailed.
On Thursday, July 6, Wright worked out for NFL teams and posted testing numbers that might have hurt his stock.
He measured 6-foot-1 3/4 and 190 pounds. Wright posted times of 4.69 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 7.81 in the three-cone and 4.69 in the short shuttle. His jumps were a 31-inch vertical and a 10-foot broad.
Prior to his NFL workout, Wright was considered a potential late-round pick in the Supplemental Draft due to his size, production, route running and sure-handedness.
Jackson State WR Malachi Wideman
After not seeing the field much in his two seasons at Tennessee, Wideman transferred to Jackson State to play under then-coach Deion Sanders.
The change of scenery led to a productive first year with Jackson State. In eight games in 2021, Wideman caught 34 passes for 540 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, Wideman could not replicate that success in 2022, finishing the year with just three catches for 49 yards and a touchdown. Off-field issues seem to have contributed to the disappointing season. Wideman was suspended due to academic shortcomings before returning to the team in October 2022.
Despite his struggles last season, the former four-star recruit is an intriguing NFL prospect. The 6-foot-5 receiver has a knack for finding the end zone and using his height to win jump ball opportunities. Wideman also possesses unique athleticism. In addition to football, Wideman played on the JSU basketball team, starting four games.
A total of 17 NFL teams reached out to meet with Wideman, including the Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints.
Editor's note: Neither player was selected, according to ESPN, making each player a free agent.
