For the second straight year, the NFL has nixed one of its under-the-radar events on the offseason calendar. According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the league has decided to cancel the supplemental draft, which, under the current CBA, it has the option of doing on a yearly basis. Last year, the NFL elected to hold off on the event amid the COVID-19 pandemic and that'll hold true in 2021 as well.
While the NFL Draft is the more popular period on the offseason calendar for the injection of new blood into the league, the supplemental draft -- which is typically held in July -- is designed as an alternative avenue for some collegiate prospects to go pro. More often than not, those prospects who enter the supplemental draft make that choice after unforeseen circumstances happen between the NFL Draft and the start of the college football season. For example, if a player originally decided to forgo the official draft and play another college season, but was later suspended, he could petition to opt for the supplemental draft.
As you may expect, this isn't a marquee event on the NFL's calendar, so it's not a major loss that they've decided to cancel it. While it may not be a primetime viewing experience, Cris Carter, Bernie Kosar, and, more recently, the likes of Josh Gordon and Terrelle Pryor have come out of the supplemental draft, so there is talent to be found. On that same note, however, there were four supplemental drafts over the last decade where zero players were selected (2013, 2014, 2016, 2017).
For those who may not be aware of how the supplemental draft works, a team can select a player and would then give up that corresponding pick during the following NFL Draft. For example, safety Jalen Thompson was the most recent supplemental pick in 2019 as the Arizona Cardinals selected him in the fifth round, meaning they surrendered a fifth-rounder in the 2020 NFL Draft.
