Each year, the NFL holds the "supplemental draft" in late July, but few pay much attention to it. In fact, sometimes, this draft is canceled and doesn't even happen. The supplemental draft is an opportunity for players whose eligibility for the NFL may have changed since the deadline of the April draft to be selected by a team. Since sometimes there are years in which there are no eligible players, the event has often been canceled, much like it has been since 2023.

Even if the supplemental draft is held, there's still no guarantee a player will be selected. The event has been held twice since, but no player has been selected since Jalen Thompson was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019. 

So, how does it work? Essentially, the supplemental draft is like a blind silent auction. Teams will submit blind bids on eligible players if they wish to draft them. Those bids are the highest round they'd be willing to draft that player in, 1st-7th. Whichever team bids the highest is awarded the player. If teams bid the same round, the team highest in the previous NFL draft order is awarded the player.

If players are eligible, why not take them?

The one caveat for the supplemental draft that tends to keep the activity at a minimum when players are available is the risk involved. If a team bids on and is awarded that player, they will lose that bidding draft pick in next year's NFL draft. So, if a team bids a 3rd round pick on a player and wins, they won't have a third-round pick the following year. Given that a handful of these players may come with injury or perhaps off-the-field red flags, many teams aren't willing to risk future draft picks on them. 

Recently, the supplemental draft has come into the spotlight after news broke that Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby plans to apply for it. Sorsby recently came into the spotlight for being granted eligibility to play for Texas Tech in 2026 despite his admission to placing bets on collegiate sports, including wagers involving his own team, all in all totaling up to $90K. Sorsby was previously considered a likely first-round pick in 2027, so this news proves awfully intriguing as to whether some teams will pull the trigger in late July. Obviously, Sorsby comes with some behavioral red flags, so teams will have to weigh out their willingness to risk it. 

Have supplemental draft picks been successful in the past?

Supplemental Draft Graduates

Though supplemental draft picks are few and far between each year, there have been some notable ones. Perhaps at the top of the list of true supplemental draft picks would be Hall of Famer Cris Carter. Carter was deemed ineligible for the 1987 NFL draft after prematurely signing with an agent. He was chosen in the supplemental draft in the fourth round by the Philadelphia Eagles. After Carter, other successful picks would be QB Bernie Kosar (Cleveland Browns), Brian Bosworth (Seattle Seahawks), and Josh Gordon (Cleveland Browns). 

The Green Bay Packers have only taken one player in the supplemental draft in their history, and that was offensive lineman Mike Wahle in 1998 with a 2nd-round pick. Wahle was forced to resign his senior year at Navy after testing positive for steroids and, therefore, was not eligible for the spring draft. This investment proved worth it for the Packers as Wahle went on to play seven seasons in Green Bay, contributing to one of the greatest offensive lines in franchise history alongside Chad Clifton, Mike Flanagan, Marco Rivera, and Mark Tauscher. 

Some fans may think that the supplemental draft could be a key to landing top talent. Already, some fans believe the Packers should put in a bid for Brendan Sorsby as a developmental QB. It's doubtful they would bid a high-round investment, but if they'd place a 5th or 6th round investment on him and end up winning, it could indeed be a huge steal for such a low cost. 

The Packers' lone supplemental draft investment paid off in a big way with Mike Wahle in 1998, proving that the risk of bidding on a supplemental pick could pay off. While the supplemental draft rarely generates much attention and even more rarely produces selections, all it takes is one team willing to take a calculated gamble. Whether that team is Green Bay this summer remains to be seen, but if the Packers believe Sorsby is worth the risk, history suggests the reward could outweigh the cost.