Dave-Te’ Thomas, Rob Rang
NFLDraftScout.com
July 9, 2007 - On July 12th, the National Football League will again conduct its annual supplemental draft. Unlike the regular phase of the draft, where every team selects from a crop of hundreds of eligible players, only ten names will appear in the supplemental draft.
Of the ten, only three players – Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither, Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver, and Nebraska offensive tackle Chris Patrick -- are expected to be drafted. Only Gaither and Oliver are considered impact prospects worthy of a consideration in the first three rounds.
Others that have declared for the 2007 Supplemental Draft are Connecticut linebacker/safety Donta Moore, Texas State defensive end/linebacker Mark Washington, Morgan State defensive/offensive tackle Robert Armstrong, East Central University offensive tackle Aaron Turner and Florida State defensive tackle Clifton Dickson.
When the supplemental draft was first instituted in 1977, team names were pulled from a hat to determine the draft order. Teams were not required to make a selection, but if they did, they would forfeit a pick in that round in the subsequent phase of the regular draft. In the later years, the league changed that format. Now, instead of teams having their draft selection based on the pull from the hat, the NFL institutes a weighted lottery based on team victories from the previous year.
The 2007 Supplemental Draft’s order is based on three separate lottery groupings. The first is for the twelve teams that finished with six or fewer wins; the second is for the eight non-playoff teams with more than six wins and a final grouping for the twelve playoff teams. Each team receives a proportionate number of tokens based on their position in the 2007 regular draft (Oakland has 32 tokens, with Detroit receiving 31, Cleveland has 30, going all the way down to Indianapolis with one).
A private lottery is held by the NFL to determine what order will be the first twelve picks. Then, the next lottery is conducted for the non-playoff teams, and finally, the third lottery is held for the playoff teams. Once the order is decided, each team has ten minutes to submit its draft selections. It submits picks by e-mail without knowing of other clubs’ intentions.
If five teams submit picks for a player in the first round, the team with the best draft position gets the pick. In exchange, it must give up its first-round pick in next year’s draft. If it does not have a first-round pick in 2007, it cannot submit a selection for a player in the first round. At the end of the round, the NFL informs every club as to which team, if any, won the rights to that player.
Designating the pick order in this way makes for some interesting scenarios. Last year, for example, the Houston Texans held the 1st pick in the April draft, yet the San Francisco 49ers "won" the lottery for the supplemental, earning them first pick of each and every round of the July 2006 draft.
Unlike the April draft, the Supplemental draft is not a televised event. Teams make their selections via email. All teams are allowed to turn in their "cards" with the name(s) of prospects they'd like to pick along with the round to do so. Should multiple teams turn in a card with the same round, the team with the higher pick is awarded the player.
Since its inception, 35 players have been selected in the supplemental draft, but few of those athletes went on to make an impact in the pros. In the earlier years of this draft, teams seemed more than willing to forfeit a first round draft pick the following year, hoping to get an instant return for that investment.
Five quarterbacks, one receiver, one running back and one linebacker have had the honor of being chosen in the first round. Some of the more recognizable names have been Dave Wilson (New Orleans), Bernie Kosar (Cleveland), Steve Walsh (Dallas), Timm Rosenbach (Phoenix/Arizona), Dave Brown (New York Giants), Rob Moore (New York Jets), Bobby Humphrey (Denver) and Brian Bosworth (Seattle), all taken in the first round.
Kosar and Moore went on to have very productive careers, but the others were found less than wanting and never made the impact their respective teams hoped. In the draft’s later rounds, future stars like receiver Cris Carter (Philadelphia, 1987 fourth round), offensive guard Mike Wahle (Green Bay, 1999 second round) and Jamal Williams (San Diego, 1999 second round) proved to be major finds.
This year, the most recognizable name on the 2007 list is Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver, a first-team All-Southeastern Conference choice in 2006. However, he was recently ruled academically ineligible and decided to enter the draft. Hoping to become the first player taken in the first round of the supplemental draft since Dave Brown was selected by the Giants in 1992, Oliver’s recent workout for NFL teams make it all but certain that Brown will remain the last first rounder taken in this phase.
Oliver checked in at 5:10.5, 195, ten pounds lighter than his playing weight, but managed 40-yard dash times that ranged from 4.56-4.62. He struggled in the three-cone drills and after clocking 7.56 in that agility wearing cleats, he switched to running shoes and posted a 7.33 time. He also measured in with a 33.5-inch vertical leap.
Oliver had given serious consideration in applying for the 2007 regular phase of the draft as an underclassman, as the NFL advisory committee labeled him a second round draft choice, but he decided to return to school. On May 17th, the school announced that he was ineligible to play for the upcoming season. Despite his lackluster workout, sources indicate that both New England and San Diego are interested in using a second round choice in their quest to improve their cornerback depth.
Other teams are also looking at Oliver as a potential safety candidate, as he has proven to be a hard-hitting tackler. In three seasons at Georgia, he was credited with seven pass thefts and eight break-ups. He posted 94 tackles (74 solos) with three sacks and 8.5 stops for losses. He also recovered two fumbles and caused five others.
Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither will compete with Oliver to be the first prospect drafted Thursday. Gaither did not allow a sack at the demanding left tackle position during his freshman year in 2005, but was suspended from the team during the Summer of 2006 due to a team rules violation. He moved to right tackle in 2006, starting nine games. Gaither then sat out 2007 spring drills to concentrate on academics, but was later ruled academically ineligible for the 2007 Terps season. Gaither appeared well on his way towards establishing himself as one of the elite pass blockers after his freshman campaign, but his play noticeably dipped as a sophomore. Gaither was bothered by an assortment of injuries, but some have questioned his work ethic, as well.
What is not in question is Gaither’s raw athleticism. After measuring in at a shade under 6-9 and at 324 pounds during his Pro Day, Gaither was clocked as fast as 4.98 in the forty yard dash and posted a 31.5” vertical leap. Each results were among the best of all offensive linemen tested at last year’s Combine. No offensive linemen of comparable size tested in Indianapolis ran as fast or jumped as high as Gaither’s numbers. Gaither did only lift 225 pounds 15 times, but a shoulder strain suffered recently in preparation for this workout, is viewed as the reason for such a disappointing number. Questions about work ethic or not, teams desperate for bulk on their front wall would be wise to consider Gaither’s upside. The Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Kansas City Chiefs are thought to be a few of the teams strongly considering Gaither.
Nebraska’s Chris Patrick also deserves legitimate draft consideration. Unlike most supplemental draft participants, Patrick was not an academic casualty or a player in bad standing back at his university. He started most of the 2006 season at left tackle for the Huskers and just missed the deadline date for filing for the regular phase of the 2007 draft in January.
In March, he became the first player to declare for the supplemental draft. “There were some things going on with my family, and with the way things ended up, I think it was the best route for me,” said Patrick. Patrick has been training with TEST Sports Clubs in New Jersey and also has been working individually with Billy Ard, the former New York Giants offensive lineman.
According to Brian Martin, owner of TEST Sports Clubs, “He’s a great fit for any team. With this type of draft, it depends on the teams’ needs at this point.” During his pro day workouts for the teams, Patrick checked in at 6:04.5, 303 pounds, running 5.21 in the 40-yard dash. He put up the weights (225 pounds) 31 times and had a 27-inch vertical jump. Patrick, has natural tools, and though he projects inside to guard, was effective last year as Nebraska's starting left tackle. The starter at that position in each of the team's final 12 games, Patrick is athletic and strong enough that he should be able to develop in a zone or drive blocking system.
Morgan State’s Robert Armstrong and East Central University’s Aaron Turner are other linemen drawing some interest throughout the league.
Armstrong was a defensive tackle at Maryland before deciding to transfer to Morgan State in 2006 after being declared academically ineligible by the Terps prior to that season. He played in 23 games from 2003-04 on Maryland’s defensive front, recording 28 tackles with two sacks and four quarterback pressures. He missed the entire 2005 season, though, with a back injury, then, ran into academic difficulties the following season.
Rather that sit out a second straight season, Armstrong transferred to Morgan State, where he played in ten games on the defensive line, recording 15 tackles, five sacks, including a three-sack performance against Norfolk State and seven stops for losses. The 6:04, 308-pounder is being looked at as a potential offensive lineman due to his inconsistent play.
Armstrong also comes with past back problems, which must be checked out thoroughly. Another issue is his advanced age, as he just turned 24 in early July 6 and that might be a factor in determining whether a team invests even a late-round choice in him. His 40-yard dash times ranged from 5.05-5.2 during a recent workout, as he benched 225 pounds 27 times (had four other lifts that did not qualify-failed to get full extension) and had a 24-inch vertical jump with an 8’11” broad jump.
Turner is the mystery man of this trio. He never played a down at East Central (Okla.) University, as he was ruled academically ineligible prior to the 2006 season. He was an All-Southwest Football Conference selection as a left offensive tackle at Cisco Junior College in 2005, but the 6:05, 345-pounder saw limited action early in the season while struggling with weight issues.
Three other defenders besides Oliver in the supplemental draft are Texas State defensive end/linebacker Mark Washington, ex-Florida State defensive tackle Clifton Dickson and Connecticut linebacker/safety Donta Moore. Washington is more suited to play linebacker at the NFL level, having played on the outside as a true freshman at Arizona State in 2003. That year, he recorded seven solo tackles with a sack and two stops for losses.
He spent the 2004-05 seasons on the sidelines at ASU (academics) before transferring to Texas State in 2006. Washington would appear in eleven games for the Bobcats, seeing most of his action at strong-side defensive tackle. He went on to register 29 tackles (16 solos) with 3.5 sacks and 7.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. Washington had lost weight in an effort to move back to linebacker this fall and shows some natural pass rush ability. He isn't likely to be drafted, but has enough size and upfield burst to generate some free agent interest from teams, especially those operating a 3-4 alignment.
Dickson has had academic and off-field issues that kept him from playing the last two years. He transferred (allegedly) to Tallahassee Community College after he was ruled academically ineligible at Florida State in 2005. Upon graduation from Tallahassee, he was to be allowed back at Florida State, but he never was re-admitted to the Florida State football team after he was arrested for grand theft and possession of marijuana.
In 2003, Dickson appeared briefly in six games, making four assisted tackles. The next year, he started four games for an injured Brodrick Bunkley at nose guard. He finished the 2004 campaign with 17 tackles (11 solos), 2.5 sacks, six stops for losses and six quarter- back pressures in twelve contests. While his off-field issues will probably scare off more than a few teams, the FSU coaching staff felt that Dickson was a better prospect than Bunkley, who was a 2006 first round draft pick by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Connecticut linebacker Donta Moore is a speedy defender who will probably return to his original position, strong safety, at the NFL level. The 6:0, 213-pounder was recently clocked at 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, adding a 37-inch vertical jump and a 10’4” broad jump.
Moore was ruled academically ineligible for the 2007 season, much like he was in 2005. As a junior in 2006, the strong-side linebacker made 72 tackles (39 solos) with three sacks, 11.5 stops for losses and an interception in twelve games. He added 12 tackles in 2004 and had four more hits in six contests as a true freshman in 2003.
The supplemental draft has been littered with players blessed with lots of promise, but little production. Many teams found that this lack of performance at the collegiate level soon carried over to their time in the NFL. What might concern some teams, in addition to a lack of production, are the reasons behind that player’s defection from the NCAA. Most had either failed academically, losing their eligibility or had been booted out of their school for off-field issues.
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