What is the NFL Supplemental Draft? Rules, How It Works & More

The NFL supplemental draft could return this summer with Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s NCAA future in doubt.

Earlier this week, Sorsby entered residential rehab for a gambling addiction. The NCAA is investigating Sorsby after he reportedly made thousands of online bets for a variety of sports. Those reported bets include gambling on Indiana to win when he was a quarterback at the school. He did not bet during games he played in.

Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinatti during the winter. With this investigation, he is in jeopardy of losing his remaining eligibility as the NCAA prohibits athletes from betting on sports.

BREER: The NFL Could Spare Brendan Sorsby From the NCAA’s Gambling Investigation

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Sorsby has hired lawyer Jeffrey Kessler to try to regain his college eligibility. Per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Sorsby’s camp has hired Kessler to try and speed up the process and see if the NCAA will negotiate a settlement on a suspension. If not, Sorsby will have the option to apply for the NFL supplemental draft. Sorsby has until June 30 to apply for the supplemental draft, and the NFL would then review the circumstances for why he is applying.

So what is the NFL supplemental draft? And how does it work? As Sorsby’s situation plays out, here’s a closer look at the rules and history of the supplemental draft.

What is the NFL supplemental draft?

The NFL supplemental draft is a draft typically held for players that lost their remaining college eligibility after the deadline to enter the standard NFL draft has taken place.

The supplemental draft first took place in 1977, and usually happens in the summer. The supplemental draft last took place in 2023, when no team selected the two available players: Jackson State’s Malachi Wideman and Purdue’s Milton Wright. The last time a player was taken in the supplemental draft was 2019, when the Cardinals selected Jalen Thompson.

NFL supplemental draft rules

The order for the supplemental draft differs from the standard draft. To determine the order for the supplemental draft, teams are divided into three groups: teams with six or fewer wins the year before, non-playoff teams with more than six wins and playoff teams. The order for each of these groups is then determined by a weighted lottery system, giving an advantage to the team with the fewest wins the year prior.

Teams then place bids on a player they are interested in taking and the round they would select that player in. If multiple squads bid on a player in the same round, the team higher in the draft order lands the player.

If a team selects a player in the supplemental draft, they then forfeit that draft pick in the following year’s NFL draft. When the Cardinals selected Thompson in 2019 with a bid of a fifth-round pick, they gave up their fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Notable players to come from the NFL supplemental draft

While it’s been nearly seven years since a player was taken in the supplemental draft, there have been several notable players selected over the near 50-year history of the supplemental draft.

The most famous player taken in the NFL supplemental draft is receiver Cris Carter, who became a Hall of Famer. Several Pro Bowlers have also emerged from the supplemental draft, including quarterback Bernie Kosar, wide receiver Josh Gordon and linebacker Ahmad Brooks, among others.

The NFL also held a supplemental draft for players that would have been eligible for the 1984 NFL draft but had already signed with the USFL and CFL. This was different than the typical supplemental draft as every team participated over the three-round event. The 1984 supplemental draft saw several stars taken including future Hall of Famers Steve Young, Gary Zimmerman and Reggie White.

Why do players enter the NFL supplemental draft?

As mentioned above, prospects typically enter the supplemental draft because they lost eligibility after the deadline to declare for the standard NFL draft. Players primarily lose this eligibility for violating either team or NCAA rules, whether academically or because of off-field issues.

Thompson entered the supplemental draft after he was ruled ineligible for his senior season for violating NCAA rules after he reportedly took an over the counter supplement. The supplement was not a steroid. Josh Gordon was suspended indefinitely during his time at Baylor after testing positive for marijuana. He transferred to Utah and later entered the supplemental draft. Cris Carter entered the supplemental draft after he was ruled ineligible after signing with an agent, which was then prohibited for an NCAA athlete. Former safety Paul Oliver, who was taken in the 2007 supplemental draft, lost his eligibility because of academics.

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Eva Geitheim is an NFL writer at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor’s in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or rewatching Gilmore Girls.

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