Category: 2020 NFL Supplemental Draft

Under the collective bargaining agreement, the NFL may elect to hold a supplemental draft, but given the current conditions due to COVID-19, and after discussions with the NFL Management Council Executive Committee, the decision was made not to hold one in 2020.

Prospective supplemental draft picks will not be free agents, but can enter the 2021 NFL Draft instead, Tom Pelissero reported.

That’s a big shot to players who would have draft eligibility. They could be looking at a shortened, postponed, or canceled college season. The supplemental draft would have provided players with an opportunity to make themselves available to all 32 NFL teams.

The way it usually works is a team is able to bid on players who, for various reasons, had their college eligibility affected and did not enter the regular spring draft. Teams bid the following year’s draft picks on eligible players. The club submitting the highest pick is granted that player, forfeiting the corresponding pick in the coming year’s spring draft.

Reasons for becoming eligible vary from signing with an agent to being dismissed from a college team to graduating early. The key option in 2020 would have been: decided not to return for his final year of eligibility after the normal draft.

Some of the names that have been chosen in supplemental draft history: Bernie Kosar (Miami, Cleveland Browns, 1985); Cris Carter (Ohio State, Philadelphia Eagles, 1987); Steve Walsh (Miami, Dallas Cowboys, 1989); Bobby Humphrey (Alabama, Denver Broncos, 1989); Rob Moore (Syracuse, New York  Jets, 1990); Jamal Williams (1998, Oklahoma State, San Diego Chargers); Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State, Oakland Raiders, 2011) and John Gordon (Baylor, Cleveland Browns, 2012). Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State, Oakland Raiders, 2011).