Former Tennessee signee, HBCU standout accepted into NFL's Supplemental Draft

Malachi Wideman, a former Tennessee signee who went on to star for Jackson State, has entered the NFL supplemental draft.

Aaron Wilson, a reporter for Houston TV station KPRC, reported that Wideman applied for the supplemental draft and was accepted by the NFL.

Former Jackson State wide receiver Malachi Wideman @GoJSUTigers and caught 12 touchdowns as a freshman has entered and been accepted into the #NFL supplemental draft, according to a league source @KPRC2

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) June 25, 2023

Wideman was full of promise when he signed with Tennessee in 2020. He was a two-sport star from Florida. But with a 6-foot-5, 190-pound frame, he decided he was best suited to play receiver for the Vols. He didn’t do much as a freshman and after spring practice in 2021, he opted to transfer. Tennessee had changed head coaches, so it made sense he’d seek a new team.

He landed at Jackson State, catching passes from Deion Sanders’ son, Shedeur Sanders. Wideman set a SWAC record with 12 touchdown receptions in 2021. But he didn’t repeat that success last season, catching three passes while playing in six games. He also played basketball at Jackson State.

In April, he posted on Instagram that he was leaving Jackson State. He wrote: “So, it is with a heavy heart that I have decided to enter the transfer portal and decide what is best for my family as we move forward in life. I want to take this opportunity to thank you and the entire Jackson State community for providing me with such an amazing experience.”

NFL Supplemental Draft slated for July 11

The NFL Supplemental Draft is set for July 11. The league hasn’t conducted one since 2019. The supplemental is for draft-eligible players who didn’t apply for the main draft but can’t return to their college team.

The NFL conducted its first supplemental draft in 1977. Since then, 46 players have found their way to the league via this secondary process. In 2019, the Cardinals selected Washington State safety Jalen Thompson in the fifth round.

The supplemental draft works a bit differently than what unfolds in April. If a team is interested in a player, then it places a bid along with the round. If more than one team bids on a player, the player goes to the team assigned a higher spot in the draft order. And if a team uses a pick in the supplemental, then it loses that choice in next year’s NFL Draft.

Players who are considered for the NFL supplemental certainly have unique situations. Bernie Kosar graduated from Miami a year early. He got to the NFL and the Browns in 1985 in the first round of the supplemental draft. The Eagles selected Cris Carter in the third round of the 1987 supplemental. Carter couldn’t return to Ohio State because he lost his eligibility after signing with an agent.

Then there were three players taken in the 1984 supplemental draft who went on to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Steve Young, Gary Zimmerman, and Reggie White all went first to the USFL, but NFL teams selected them just in case.