Every spring, the NFL holds a draft to usher in the next wave of talent for the league's 32 franchises. The three-day draft has become the marquee event of the league's offseason, grabbing headlines and generating storylines that carry the NFL into the upcoming season.
Some years, the NFL also holds a supplemental draft, a mechanism that allows teams to bid future draft picks on players who, for various reasons, had their college eligibility impacted and did not enter the regular spring draft.
There was thought that the NFL supplemental draft might return this summer in light of the Brendan Sorsby gambling scandal, but Sorsby was allowed to return to Texas Tech for one more season of college football.
Here is everything to know about the NFL's supplemental draft:
What is the NFL supplemental draft?
First held in 1977, the NFL supplemental draft is an alternate summer draft for college players who missed the standard draft's filing deadline. Most of the players available have lost their collegiate eligibility (often because of academic or disciplinary reasons).
How does the NFL supplemental draft work?
The order for the supplemental draft differs from the regular spring draft. The supplemental draft order is divided into three groups:
▪︎ Teams with six or fewer wins the previous season
▪︎ The remaining non-playoff teams
▪︎ The 14 playoff teams
The order within each group is randomly selected. If a team is interested in selecting a player, it bids one of its draft picks for the following year on that player. The team that submits the highest pick is granted that player, forfeiting the corresponding pick in the next spring draft.
The supplemental draft lasts seven rounds.
How often does the NFL hold a supplemental draft?
The NFL holds a supplemental draft only when approved prospects are available, which hasn't happened since 2023. Two eligible players were available that year -- Jackson State's Malachi Wideman and Purdue's Milton Wright. Neither player was selected.
A player hasn't been selected in a supplemental draft since 2019, when the Arizona Cardinals drafted defensive back Jalen Thompson.
Notable NFL supplemental draft picks
2019
▪︎ S Jalen Thompson, fifth round, Arizona Cardinals