The NFL Supplemental Draft will be making its long-awaited return over the summer.
According to Dane Brugler of The Athletic, the Supplemental Draft will happen on July 11. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport later confirmed this news.
UPDATE: Supplemental Draft is scheduled for Tuesday, July 11.
Prospects must apply with the league office for eligibility. Milton Wright has been approved. https://t.co/PVQp0s4vp5
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) June 16, 2023
This year’s supplemental draft will be the league’s first since 2019 when the Arizona Cardinals selected Washington State safety Jalen Thompson in the 5th round.
The NFL Supplemental Draft was designed to accommodate players in unique situations who were not eligible for the regular draft in April. One of the more common situations is a college player being ruled ineligible for the upcoming season following the normal draft.
For teams, the supplemental draft process can be slightly different.
For starters, the draft order varies from the regular draft. Teams are separated into three groups based on last year’s records. Those groups are as follows:
- Non-playoff teams with six or fewer wins
- Non-playoff teams with more than six wins
- Playoff teams
After making the playoffs last season, the Minnesota Vikings will be placed in the third group of teams. Within these groups, the order is determined by a weighted lottery system similar to the NBA Draft.
During the supplemental draft, teams blindly submit what round they want to select a player. If a team is the highest bidder, the team has to give up the corresponding pick in next year’s draft. For example, if the Minnesota Vikings choose to spend a third-rounder on a player, they lose their 2024 3rd-round pick.
The NFL Supplemental Draft has produced some solid NFL players in recent years, including Thompson; wide receiver Josh Gordon (2012); quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2011); and linebacker Ahmad Brooks (2006).
The Minnesota Vikings have only selected one player during the supplemental draft. In 1988, the Vikings used a 5th-round pick on wide receiver Ryan Bethea.
Wide receiver Cris Carter, who played 12 seasons with the Vikings, was a 1987 supplemental pick by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Former Purdue wide receiver Milton Wright is the only confirmed participant in this year’s supplemental draft. In 2021, Wright totaled 732 yards and seven touchdowns for the Boilermakers. Milton was ruled academically ineligible for the 2022 season.
