NFL Supplemental Draft 2012: Why Josh Gordon Was the Only Player Worth Picking

The NFL supplemental draft was an uneventful affair as Josh Gordon was the only player who was claimed.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter did not have to exert himself too much to report the results via Twitter. 

"

WR Josh Gordon was the only player to be picked during today's NFL supplemental draft.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 12, 2012"

The Cleveland Browns took Gordon in the second round, adding an exciting talent to their wide receiving corps.

Here are the eight players who were available for the draft, courtesy of NFL.com.

Quaylon Ewing	DB	Boise State
Josh Gordon	WR	Utah
Adam Harris	RB	Syracuse
Adrian Haughton	OT	Iowa State
Larry Lumpkin	LB	Carson-Newman
Montez Robinson	DE	Georgia
Houston Tuminello	WR	McMurray
Ed Wesley	RB	TCU

The supplemental draft is conducted entirely via email. The order is determined via a lottery, but the teams with the worst record have the best chance at getting the highest picks.

The teams pick in order, but have the option to either pass on their choice or draft a player. If they choose to take a player, they forfeit a pick in that round in the next year’s standard draft. NBC Sports’ Michael David Smith provides the exact guidelines for the procedure. 

This year, every team passed on all their picks, except the Browns in Round 2.

Of the eligible players, Gordon was the only one who received any buzz leading up to the supplemental draft.

His size and speed make him an elite talent. Gordon checked in to his pro day on July 10 at roughly 6’3” and 225 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds.

His sophomore campaign was the only time in his college career that he saw significant playing time, and he caught 42 passes for 714 yards and seven touchdowns. 

The rest of the players will now join the ranks of the undrafted free agents, and teams can attempt to pick them up without sacrificing any picks.

Players available in the supplemental draft often, but not always, dealt with off-field problems that led to complications with their eligibility for the standard draft. This was the case with Gordon, who transferred from Baylor to Utah after being indefinitely suspended. He told the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain that a positive marijuana test was the reason for his punishment.

This was also the case with Larry Lumpkin, another player eligible this year. Lumpkin transferred out of Alabama A&M and had his share of disciplinary problems, as noted by Reggie Benson of the Huntsville Times. 

Terrelle Pryor, the only player picked in last year’s supplemental draft, was another example of a case where off-field issues caused a player to miss the draft. Pryor was suspended for his involvement in a scandal that involved selling sports memorabilia.

With all these players, the off-field issues must be weighed against on-field talent. As is the case in most years, a player’s potential rarely warrants risking a draft pick. 

Gordon’s freakish physical tools made him worth a second-round pick, but all the other picks will have to earn their way onto a roster as undrafted free agents.