Draft day...in July? And no Mel Kiper sightings?
It's true. All 32 NFL teams will get one more chance to add young talent to their rosters with the annual Supplemental Draft, scheduled for Thursday, July 13.
Virginia's Ahmad Brooks, a 6-4, 259-pound linebacker who grew up in Fairfax, Va., is regarded as the top player available in the Supplemental Draft. Some pro scouts had projected him as a potential top 10 pick had he been available in the April 29-30 NFL Draft.
Brooks's father, Perry, played defensive tackle for the Redskins from 1977-85 and was part of the franchise's Super Bowl XVII championship team in 1982.
Brooks was a national defensive player of the year coming out of C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, Va. After starring early in his college career, his stock slipped in recent years. Last season, Brooks was slowed by knee, ankle and back injuries and played in six games, recording 27 tackles.
Brooks opted to enter the Supplemental Draft after he was dismissed from the Cavaliers earlier this offseason due to off-field issues.
The Redskins have never used a pick in the 29-year history of the Supplemental Draft.
Scott Campbell, director of college scouting for the Redskins, said the team has evaluated the crop of talent available in the Supplemental Draft. The evaluation included film study and complete background checks.
Other entrants in the Supplemental Draft include offensive lineman Craig Berry of Texas, defensive end Jason Berryman of Iowa State, linebacker David Dixon of Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, fullback Ahmad Hall of Texas, defensive tackle Marco Martin of Texas and wide receiver Richard Washington of North Carolina State.
If a player is not chosen in the Supplemental Draft, that player is free to negotiate with any NFL team as an unrestricted free agent.
Just like April's NFL Draft, there are seven rounds in the Supplemental Draft. Teams issue a "pass" if they choose not to select a player with their draft pick.
The NFL uses last April's draft order in determining the order of selection. That means the Houston Texans will have the first chance to pick a player from this year's pool.
Here's the risk: if a team uses a pick, it forfeits a pick in the corresponding round in the April 2007 NFL Draft.
The forfeiture of a draft pick would not discourage the Redskins from selecting a player in the Supplemental Draft, if team officials believe that player can help the team, according to Campbell.
Most teams issue a "pass" so that they can hold on to their draft picks. Oftentimes, entire rounds go by with no team making a pick.
Sometimes the entire draft goes by without a player being selected, which was the case in 2004. Last year, only one player was selected: defensive tackle Manuel Wright, by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round.
The Supplemental Draft allows college players who have lost their eligibility to enter the NFL and not miss out on a football season.
Typically, academics are cited as the primary reason for players to enter the Supplemental Draft, but off-field issues are also common among entrants.
Players selected in the Supplemental Draft have typically lost their academic eligibility
Since 1977, just eight players--including five quarterbacks--have been selected in the first round.
Those names include quarterback Dave Wilson (1981), quarterback Bernie Kosar (1985), linebacker Brian Bosworth (1987), quarterback Steve Walsh (1989), quarterback Timm Rosenbach (1989), running back Bobby Humphrey (1989), wide receiver Rob Moore (1990) and quarterback Dave Brown (1992).
Of that group, only Kosar and Moore had solid NFL careers. Other Supplemental Draft players who have gone on to successful NFL careers include wide receiver Cris Carter, a fourth-round pick in 1987 to the Philadelphia Eagles, and offensive line Mike Wahle, a second-round pick in 1999 to the Green Bay Packers.
