Two players declare for NFL Supplemental Draft

The NFL will conduct its supplemental draft next Tuesday, but don’t expect any frills or fanfare. That’s because only two players applied and met eligibilty requirements.

But, we pay attention because star players have used the supplemental draft to jump to the league. And, the NFL hasn’t conducted the supplemental draft since 2019.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network confirmed that only Malachi Wideman, a receiver from Jackson State, and Milton Wright, a wideout from Purdue, will be available.

Two players were granted eligibility for next week's NFL Supplemental Draft: Jackson State WR Malachi Wideman and Purdue WR Milton Wright.

Those are the only two players who can be selected in the supplemental draft — the first since 2019 — which will take place Tuesday.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 5, 2023

Wright is the intriguing guy from a Power Five conference. At 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, he’s also got a big, NFL-ready body. Wright caught 57 passes for 732 yards in 2021. But that was his last season of college football. He wasn’t academically eligible to play in 2022. So because he’s out of options, he can go NFL supplemental draft.

Meanwhile, there’s Malachi Wideman, a former Tennessee Vol who ended up at Jackson State, playing for coach Deion Sanders. Wideman was a two-sport star from Florida and wanted to play football and basketball in college. He’s 6-5, 190 pounds, so scouts loved his size. He left Knoxville after his freshman season when Tennessee changed gootball coaches.

At Jackson State, he caught passes from Sanders’ son, Shedeur Sanders. Wideman set a SWAC record with 12 touchdown catches in 2021. But he didn’t match that success in 2022, catching only three passes in six games. However, he did play basketball for Jackson State.

Three months ago, Wideman shared 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.” But he never announced a school.

The supplemental is for draft-eligible players like Wright and Wideman who no longer can play college football, but who didn’t apply for April’s draft.

The NFL hosted its first supplemental draft in 1977. Since that year, teams have selected 46 players via this secondary channel. The last player to go was Washington State safety Jalen Thompson. The Cardinals picked him in the fifth round.

Here’s how the NFL works its supplemental draft. If a team is interested in either Wright or Wideman, then an official places a bid along with the round. If more than one team wants the player, said player goes to the team that picked him with a higher spot in the draft order. Here’s why you might not see a ton of teams participating in the NFL supplemental draft. Teams will be using next year’s draft picks. So if you allot a fourth-rounder for one of the players, you don’t have that selection in 2024.

Players who enter the NFL supplemental draft for a variety of reasons. Former Miami star Bernie Kosar graduated from school a year early. The Browns used a supplemental first rounder in 1985 to secure Kosar. The Eagles picked future star Cris Carter in the third round of the 1987 supplemental. He was available because he lost his eligibility at Ohio State for signing with an agent.