After postponing the event due to the Lockout and other delays due to the jumbled NFL Calendar, the Supplemental Draft, which usually occurs in July, will take place today. Six players have petitioned for consideration this year -- Terrelle Pryor, Keenan Mace, Caleb King, Tracy Wilson, Michael McAdoo and Torez Jones.
In general, the Supplemental Draft is a "last chance" for college players that have lost their NCAA playing eligibility or got kicked off their respective teams. These are players with issues. Character issues, off-the-field issues, academic issues and well, you get the picture. On occasion, there is a player that graduated too late to declare for the regular draft who petitions the league for a chance at the Supplemental Draft, but it is a rare event.
The Denver Broncos have used a Draft pick in the Supplemental Draft before, selecting RB Bobby Humphries in the first round of the 1989 Supplemental Draft.
In this unconventional draft, teams interested in these available players place "bids" using next year's draft picks as the purchase price. In the instance of a tiebreaker, the team with the higher draft slot in the previous year receives the player in question. for this year's Supplemental Draft, the 2009 Draft order will be referred to.
The team bidding the highest pick for a player is rewarded the rights to that player. They forfeit that round selection in the following year draft. Last year, the Washington Redskins chose current Bronco DE Jeremy Jarmon and relinquished their 3rd round pick in the 2010 Draft.
Take a look at the prospects who have petitioned for today's draft.
Terrelle Pryor
At 6'6", 233 lbs., Pryor has remarkable stature. The starting Quarterback at Ohio State for the past 3 years has elite speed (had at 40 Time of 4.33 in 2009) to make the big play as a runner. However, his accuracy is horrid and will need to be developed if he is to play QB in the NFL. Terrelle has drawn comparisons to Vince Young and it's been said that he's a better all-around athlete than Cam Newton or Tim Tebow. He is a development project at Quarterback and may be asked to switch to a Receiver position at the next level. Pryor was also a very good basketball player in high school and could use those skills catching the ball for an NFL team.
The reason for Pryor's petition to the Supplemental Draft is a messy situation. To sum it up in brief, Terrelle (and quite a few other student-athletes at Ohio St.) were receiving improper benefits. Allegations that Pryor exchanged autographs and memorabilia for tattoos and money, lying to the NCAA and not cooperating with investigations. It is also alleged that he drove up to 8 cars that were gifts under a suspended Drivers License.
The league announced last Thursday that Pryor is eligible for its supplemental draft, but he won’t be allowed to practice for the team that selects him until Week 6. Pryor gave up his final season with the Buckeyes following an investigation into the team’s memorabilia-for-cash scandal. Pryor's agent is Drew Rosenhaus.
Terrelle is expected to be drafted with a middle round pick and it is doubtful that the Broncos will make a play on him, but keep an eye on the Bengals, Redskins, Dolphins, Steelers, Browns and of course, the Raiders.
Keenan Mace
Mace is a 6'4", 313 lb. Defensive Lineman out of Lindenwood University, an NCAA Division II school near St. Louis MO. He ended up playing for the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League and then signed with the Dallas Cowboys after the lockout. After a few days practicing with the Cowboys, he was informed that his contract with Dallas was invalid due to remaining college eligibility and because he had not petitioned the NFL for early entry. The League ruled that he was not allowed to be on an NFL roster yet until going through the supplemental draft.
Keenan played Defensive Tackle at Lindenwood and switched to Defensive End for the Wranglers. He is better on the inside and has the talent to develop as a three-technique defensive tackle for the 4-3. He possesses a quick burst off the snap and good strength, but doesn't have the lateral agility and closing speed to make many stops outside of the tackle box. Most consider him a 6th or 7th round pick. If he goes undrafted, the Cowboys will sign him as a Free Agent. The Atlanta Falcons have shown interest in Mace and he should get a look from the Broncos.
For a highlight of Keenan Mace go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7gE3fRUCFw
Caleb King
King is a 5'11", 212 lb. Running Back out of Georgia. He ran a 40 Time of 4.71 at his Pro Day workout last week, performing for at least 7 teams including Washington, Kansas City, Tampa Bay and Buffalo. King was highly recruited out of high school, but never lived up to expectations at the college level. He has a thick build back and good strength, enabling him to run through tackles, but there are concerns that he doesn't possess the explosive quickness, cutting ability, elusiveness and top-end speed to be more than mediocre in the NFL. Caleb was declared academically ineligible at Georgia, making him a candidate for the Supplemental Draft. King is projected as a 6th or 7th round pick at best, and a good bet to go undrafted. He will almost surely be signed as a Free Agent if not drafted.
Tracy Wilson
Wilson is a 6'2", 205 lb. Safety prospect out of Northern Illinois. Although he has good size for the Safety position, Tracy is not a consistently aggressive player, which raises concerns about his ability to be a good enough Special Teams player to develop into backup Safety. He started 17 of 32 games at Strong Safety for the Huskies from 2008-2010, making 171 Tackles, 3.5 Tackles for a Loss, 0 Sacks, 4 Fumble Recoveries, 1 interception and 5 Pass break ups. He is far from an elite prospect, but will definitely find his way into an NFL training camp if he does not get drafted. The Broncos have a plethora of Safeties and will most definitely pass on Wilson.
Michael McAdoo
McAdoo is a 6'7", 245 lb. Defensive End out of North Carolina. He enters the Supplemental Draft because of losing his eligibility due to alleged improper benefits while at INC. He was never a full-time starter for the Tar Heels and played as the 3rd DE. McAdoo is quick and has the ability to defeat blocks when he has space, but probably won't be drafted since he couldn't win a starting job in college. Michael has a chance as a Free Agent after the Supplemental Draft because of his measurables and athleticism, which project him as a developmental pass rusher.
Torez Jones
Jones is a 6'0", 175 lb. Defensive Back out of Western Carolina. He played 18 games at Cornerback for the Catamounts in 2009 and 2010, with 66 Tackles 8 interceptions and 5 Pass break ups. During last year's campaign, Torez showed off some excellent ball skills breaking up and intercepting passes. Due to playing against a lower level of competition though, the concern is whether those skills will hold up in the NFL against Pro receivers. Because of the small school competition level and only starting one year, Jones has not garnered much interest from NFL Teams and will likely go undrafted. If he is taken, it will be in the 7th round.
There you have it. The six candidates for the NFL's 2011 Supplemental Draft. Will the Broncos make a bid for any of these players? What do you think?
Go Broncos!
