Tag: supplemental draft

Now undrafted, WRs Malachi Wideman and Milton Wright pursue new opportunities

After not being picked in the supplemental draft, WRs Malachi Wideman and Milton Wright pursue new opportunities. Could the Saints sign one of them?

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8169″]

The NFL supplemental draft came and went without any players being selected, and now the two prospects available are weighing their options. Could either of these wide receivers interest the New Orleans Saints? Here’s what’s next for Malachi Wideman and Milton Wright.

KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson reports that Wideman has a contract offer from the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders, while the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas also own his rights. Wilson adds that Wideman plans to work out in front of NFL teams before training camp begins in late July (as does Wright). Wideman moves well at a listed 6-foot-5 but is rail-thin at 190 pounds. He’ll need to bulk up.

He’s a likelier candidate to land with the Saints than Wright, whose poor pro day performance likely disqualifies him in their front office. Wright weighed in at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds but timed the 40-yard dash in just 4.69 seconds while posting below-par numbers in the jumps and agility drills. That combined for an abysmal 1.31 unofficial Relative Athletic Score. For context, the Saints usually look for a RAS higher than 8 or 9 on the 10-point scale.

New Orleans’ decision-makers haven’t been as strict with their athletic thresholds for undrafted free agents as with draft picks, but it’s tough to see them making room for Wright between that and his being dismissed from Purdue’s team for being academically ineligible. Still, you never know. They could use more depth at receiver with all three of their top options missing time in spring practices due to injuries.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

How does the NFL’s supplemental draft work?

Wide receivers Milton Wright and Malachi Wideman are each eligible for the NFL’s first supplemental draft since 2019.

For the first time since 2019, the NFL’s supplemental draft is back. On July 11, teams in need of young wide receiver help will have their choice … of two approved prospects.

Purdue’s Milton Wright and Jackson State’s Malachi Wideman are the only two players to be approved for the summer’s occasional bonus draft. If teams are willing to part with a 2024 NFL Draft pick, they can take a crack at two players low on name recognition but who could, with the right environment, develop into contributors on Sunday. If selected, they’d join the ranks of supplemental draft veterans that includes Cris Carter, Josh Gordon and Terrelle Pryor.

But what is the supplemental draft, and how do prospects wind up there? It’s simple, actually.

POLL: Should the Cardinals select someone in the 2023 supplemental draft?

Vote in the poll to say whether the Cardinals should participate in the supplemental draft and select either receiver in it.

The Arizona Cardinals have not been afraid to use the supplemental draft. They were the last team to select a player in it, taking safety Jalen Thompson in 2019 (the last supplemental draft the NFL held) with a fifth-round pick.

They used a first-round pick to take quarterback Timm Rosenbach back in 1989.

The first supplemental draft since 2019 is today, July 11.

Two players are in it — Purdue WR Milton Wright and Jackson State WR Malachi Wideman.

Both are taller receivers.

Wright did not play in 2022 because he was academically ineligible.

He is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound wideout. He caught 57 passes for 732 yards and seven touchdowns in 2021.

His athletic testing was below average, highlighted by a 4.69-second 40-yard dash.

Wideman began his college career at Tennessee before transferring to Jackson State. He is 6-foot-5. In 2021, he caught 34 passes for 540 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had limited playing time last season, catching three passes for 49 yards and a score. NFL Draft Scout lists his 40 time at 4.49 seconds, very good for someone of his height.

Should the Cardinals look to select either player?

Vote in the poll!

[polldaddy poll=12509569]

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1362]

Everything Chiefs fans need to know about the 2023 NFL supplemental draft

The 2023 NFL supplemental draft is set for Tuesday, July 11. Here is everything that #Chiefs fans need to know:

The NFL’s supplemental draft is back for the first time since 2019 and will take place on Tuesday, July 11. It’s worth keeping an eye on if you’re a Kansas City Chiefs fan.

In 2019, the Cardinals selected Washington State DB Jalen Thompson. The year prior, CBs Sam Beal and Adonis Alexander were both selected.

In the past, some great players entered the league through the supplemental draft. That includes players like Hall of Fame WR Cris Carter, QB Bernie Kosar, QB Steve Walsh, LB Ahmad Brooks, WR Josh Gordon and QB/WR Terrelle Pryor.

This season two prospects have thrown their name into the hat for the supplemental draft. Below you’ll find all of the information you need to know about this year’s supplemental draft:

NFL to hold 2023 supplemental draft on Tuesday

The NFL will hold a supplemental draft on Tuesday. Two wide receivers — Malachi Wideman and Milton Wright — are eligible to be picked.

For the first time since 2019, the NFL will hold a supplemental draft this offseason.

The supplemental draft was originally “created to serve prospects who were not eligible for the annual spring draft for various reasons,” according to the league’s official website.

In order to make a pick in the supplemental pick, a team must forfeit a pick in the next draft. For example, if the Denver Broncos want to pick a player in this year’s supplemental draft, they would have to use a selection from their 2024 pool of draft picks (perhaps one of their two seventh-round picks).

There are only two players eligible for the supplemental draft his year — Jackson State wide receiver Malachi Wideman and Purdue wide receiver Milton Wright, according to NFL Network.

The most recent player selected in a supplemental draft was safety Jalen Thompson, who was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with a fifth-round pick in 2019.

The Broncos have made a pick in a supplemental draft once in their history, using a first-round pick to select running back Bobby Humphrey in 1989.

The 2023 NFL supplemental draft will be held on Tuesday, July 11.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

Don’t expect 49ers to get involved in supplemental draft

The NFL will have a supplemental draft for the first time since 2019 with 2 WRs eligible. Don’t expect the #49ers to get involved though:

[anyclip pubname=”2103″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8036″]

The NFL for the first time since 2019 will hold a supplemental draft. NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero on Wednesday reported two players were granted eligibility for the supplemental draft on July 11. Jackson State wide receiver Malachi Wideman and Purdue WR Milton Wright will both be available for a 2024 draft pick, but don’t expect the 49ers to get involved.

While San Francisco may be intrigued with one of Wideman or Wright, they’d need to give up a 2024 pick that corresponds with where they selected them in the supplemental draft.

Wideman was a dual-sport athlete at Jackson State. He began his career at Tennessee before transferring. In three college seasons he caught 38 balls for 613 yards and 13 touchdowns. His best year was in 2021 when he hauled in 34 receptions for 540 yards and 12 TDs.

He also played basketball for the Tigers. The 6-5, 190-pound guard averaged 5.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game. His size and athleticism could intrigue NFL teams.

Wright had a more traditional college career. The. 6-3, 195-pound receive played in 27 games across three seasons for the Boilermakers. He was academically ineligible for the 2022 season, but in the three years prior he posted 1,325 yards and 10 touchdowns on 99 catches. His best year was in 2021 when he had 57 receptions for 732 yards and seven TDs.

Both Wideman and Wright have NFL size, but the 49ers have a logjam at receiver already with a mix of older veterans and young players vying for spots on the back end of the roster.

If San Francisco can add one of the players as an undrafted free agent then it might make sense, but the 49ers have already released one WR from their 90-man roster this offseason. Using a 2024 pick on a player as inexperienced as Wideman, or on a player who hasn’t played since 2021 isn’t something the 49ers are likely to do unless they really love the player and think they can contribute right away.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

 

Deion Sanders’ former player could interest Saints in 2023 supplemental draft

One of Deion Sanders’ former players could make sense for the Saints. Jackson State wide receiver Malachi Wideman entered the 2023 supplemental draft | @crissy_froyd

[anyclip pubname=”2103″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8036″]

The NFL is reviving the supplemental draft in 2023, with a handful of players emerging as potential targets for the New Orleans Saints. One of which is former Jackson State wide receiver Malachi Wideman, who saw action under Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders at JSU in addition to playing at Tennessee.

As was first reported by NFL insider Aaron Wilson, the former Volunteer is one of a very small number of players who have entered the supplemental draft. He is the second to do so along with former Purdue Boilermakers wide receiver Milton Wright.

Wideman tallied 540 yards on 34 catches with 12 touchdowns in his first season with Coach Prime’s team, quickly making a statement across the SWAC. Those 12 trips to the end zone would led the conference in 2021, making room for high expectations for Wideman to build off of that in a big way for the 2022 season. That was not quite the case, though, as he recorded just three catches and a single score in 2022.

It will be interesting to see where Wideman lands — potentially New Orleans — when the supplemental draft kicks off on July 11. Teams may submit any of their 2024 draft picks in the 2023 supplemental draft to select a player, but the Saints have just five selections right now. They may opt to wait and sign anyone not picked in the supplemental draft as a free agent.

The Saints are led at wide receiver by Michael Thomas and Chris Olave, with the new addition of sixth-round former Wake Forest pass-catcher AT Perry also in the fold. There’s been talk of Perry becoming one of the biggest steals of the 2023 NFL Draft and while he and some of the other names on the roster could become notable standouts, there’s always room for more depth.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

NFL supplemental draft returns July 11

The last supplemental draft was in 2019 when the Cardinals selected safety Jalen Thompson.

The NFL will hold a supplemental draft for the first time since 2019. According to Dane Brugler, it has been scheduled for July 11 and, thus far, one player is eligible for it — Purdue receiver Milton Wright.

The supplemental draft, held by the NFL from 1977-2019, was designed to give eligibility to players who would have been eligible for the regular draft earlier in the year but opted not to declare and then had extenuating circumstances. It could be a suspension for the upcoming college season, a coaching change that would change the player’s potential prospects to perform and then be selected in the next draft.

The last player selected in the supplemental draft was Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson in 2019. They used a fifth-round pick to select him out of Washington State after a team violation made him ineligible for the 2019 season.

The Cardinals have selected three players in the supplemental draft.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1362]

Would Purdue WR Milton Wright make sense for the Saints in 2023 supplemental draft?

Would former Purdue wide receiver Milton Wright make sense for the New Orleans Saints in the 2023 supplemental draft?

[anyclip pubname=”2103″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8036″]

The NFL announced this week that it will conduct its first supplemental draft since the 2019 season, scheduled for July 11. In the supplemental draft, teams will choose whether to forfeit a pick in the next year’s draft to add a player The list of players who will be eligible for the supplemental draft is still being finalized but for now there’s just one name: former Purdue Boilermakers wide receiver Milton Wright.

Wright, listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, was a steady contributor through his first two years at Purdue but broke out in 2021 with 57 receptions for 732 receiving yards, scoring 9 touchdown catches — trailing only David Bell, a future top-100 draft pick who played a modest role in the weak Cleveland Browns passing offense last year. He’s known as a big target who doesn’t drop many passes, with a high first-down conversion rate (moving the chains on 67 of his 99 receptions), though without much experience lining up from the slot or forcing missed tackles with moves after the catch.

But because Wright was declared academically ineligible in 2022 and didn’t find many options in the transfer portal in 2023, he’s chosen to turn pro. So would he make sense for New Orleans?

The Saints just signed a couple of veteran free agents in Keke Coutee and Lynn Bowden, adding them to a receiving corps that includes new additions like Bryan Edwards, James Washington, and rookies A.T. Perry and Shaquan Davis; plus receivers returning from last year in Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Tre’Quan Smith, Keith Kirkwood, and Kawaan Baker.

A complicating factor is the Saints’ future draft picks situation. Even though New Orleans is projected to receive multiple compensatory picks in 2024, those haven’t actually been awarded yet, so they’re off the table. That leaves them with just five picks to spend, in the first, second, fifth, and sixth rounds (owning two sixth-rounders, with one coming from the Philadelphia Eagles).

If the Saints wanted to they could use one of those picks, probably one of their fifth- or sixth-round selections, in a bid to land Wright. But that would leave them with less draft capital to work with until compensatory picks are awarded next March. Their options would be limited leading up to the NFL trade deadline in November.

Whether that’s worth adding another rookie receiver is up to them. Something else to consider is that Wright could be signed as a undrafted free agent if no other team wants to select him during the supplemental draft.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

NFL to hold supplemental draft for first time since 2019

The NFL supplemental draft is set to return in 2023 with one player currently eligible for selection.

[connatix div_id=”3f8b015acdd24c648befc5d5dac47469″ player_id=”afe1e038-d3c2-49c0-922d-6511a229f69c” cid=”7cbcea0d-4ce2-4c75-9a8d-fbe02a192c24″]

After a three-year hiatus, the NFL supplemental draft is set to return in 2023.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports that the NFL supplemental draft is set for Tuesday, July 11.

Originating in 1977, the supplemental draft is a second chance for players who didn’t declare for, or were deemed ineligible for, the NFL draft. They’ll have an opportunity to make themselves available for selection by one of the 32 NFL teams.

Only one player has been deemed eligible for the 2023 supplemental draft:  Purdue WR Milton Wright. He had been deemed academically ineligible for the 2022 college season. In 2021, his last season with the Boilermakers, Wright had 57 catches for over 700 yards and seven touchdowns.

Other players could be granted eligibility for the supplemental draft in the coming weeks.

Though it’s rare, teams have found key players via the supplemental draft route. Players like Terrelle Pryor and Josh Gordon were both supplemental draft picks. The last player selected in the supplemental draft was Jalen Thompson. The Arizona Cardinals used a fifth-round pick on Thompson in 2019.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]