Sam Beal, CB, Western Michigan
Adonis Alexander, CB, Virginia Tech
Brandon Bryant, S, Mississippi State
Martayveus Carter, RB, Grand Valley State
Bright Ugwoegbu, LB, Oregon State
Anyone need a defensive back? Sam Beal is considered by most to be the most promising Supplemental Draft talent since Josh Gordon in 2012. That's not really saying much but Beal is a legitimate NFL talent. He will be selected. He could be joined by the other two defensive backs.
Former player, scout, and current NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks recently gave his opinions on the five players available in the 2018 Supplemental Draft.
Sam Beal, CB, Western Michigan: As the hottest name in this year's supplemental draft, Beal has garnered plenty of attention from the NFL scouting community. The 6-foot-1, 187-pounder not only has plus size, but he displays outstanding movement skills and agility on the perimeter. Beal looks like a natural cover corner on the island with the potential to play in a nose-to-nose position or from distance. He flashes outstanding footwork, balance and body control shadowing receivers while staying in their hip pocket down the field. Beal's discipline and detail in coverage suggest that he could grow into a front-line player in a diverse scheme that features man and zone concepts with a variety of techniques.
Critically speaking, Beal needs to work on his physicality and toughness as a run defender. He doesn't aggressively seek out contact on the edge, and his reluctance to engage ball carriers could make him a liability on a gap-control defense that forces runners to bounce to the outside. Now, I certainly understand the challenges of being a solid tackler as a sub-200-pounder, but Beal's suspect effort stands out on tape and must be addressed if he is going to be a solid player at the next level.
From a playmaking standpoint, Beal could also show better ball skills, having snagged just two interceptions as a two-year starter for the Broncos. Granted, he finished his career with 19 passes defensed, but elite corners create turnovers. This former high school track star hasn't produced enough takeaways on the island.
Beal's academic issues and other shortcomings will bother some evaluators, but his exceptional talent and natural cover skills will make him a top selection in the supplemental draft. Given his solid film and the strong workout at his pro day (clocked 40-yard-dash times in the 4.47-4.55 range with a 37-inch vertical leap, 10-6 broad jump, 4.09 20-yard shuttle and 7.11 three-cone drill), Beal could emerge as a second-round pick on Wednesday.
Adonis Alexander, CB, Virginia Tech: In a league where it's hard to find 6-foot corners with solid cover skills and tackling ability, scouts will give a big corner with a few off-field blemishes plenty of chances to prove his worth as a pro. That's one of the reasons why Alexander is likely to come off the board as a mid-round selection in this year's supplemental draft. Looking at his game on tape, it is easy to fall in love with his size, length and press-man skills. Alexander smothers receivers at the line of scrimmage with his aggressive shadow technique, while also displaying good instincts and ball skills. He routinely pins receivers to the sideline with the ball in the air to minimize the target area for the quarterback on downfield throws. In addition, Alexander will use his superior length to swat away 50-50 balls in critical situations.
From a critical standpoint, Alexander's game is still a work in progress, with the young corner needing to refine his footwork and technique in press and off coverage. He is a straight-line athlete without the movement skills or change-of-direction ability to execute head whips or speed turns in coverage. Alexander's shady footwork gets exposed against big-time wide receivers (see: last season's West Virginia game), which leads to concerns about his potential to grow into a CB1 or CB2 as a pro. Considering the off-field problems (academic ineligibility and a marijuana arrest) and the so-so pro day (clocked 40 times in the high-4.5/low-4.6 range with a 35.5-inch vertical leap, 10-4 broad jump, 4.38 20-yard shuttle and 7.18 three-cone drill), Alexander's stock will take a tumble from early 2019 draft estimates that once pegged him as a possible top-50 selection. That said, he should be selected in the third round by a team looking for a Richard Sherman type on the perimeter.
Brandon Bryant, SS, Mississippi State: There are always spots in the NFL for talented athletes with exceptional physical traits. That's why scouts were paying close attention to Bryant as a prospect after he earned recognition as one of the most explosive college football players in 2016 and '17. Despite failing to perform up to lofty expectations during his pro day, Bryant posted respectable numbers for his position (checking in at 5-foot-11 and 207 pounds with 4.45/4.52 40 times, a 34-inch vertical and a 10-3 broad jump) in front of representatives from 14 teams.
On tape, Bryant flashes decent movement skills, range and toughness, but he isn't a playmaker in the back end. Although he tallied five career interceptions as a Bulldog, he snagged three of those picks in 2015 and didn't make much of an impact after his initial success. With questions surrounding his work ethic, discipline and attention to detail after his on-field (blown coverages) and academic struggles, Bryant is likely to be a seventh round/priority free agent prospect on most boards around the league.
Bright Ugwoegbu, LB, Oregon State: It is hard for undersized linebackers to make it in the league when they lack explosive speed, quickness and burst. That's why Ugwoegbu could face an uphill climb after posting pedestrian numbers at his pro day following a nondescript playing career in Corvallis. The 6-1, 205-pounder clocked 40 times in the 4.9 range and put up the kind of numbers in the other agility drills that suggest he could move to a secondary position as a pro. With film also confirming that point through his lackluster play as a part-time starter over three seasons, Ugwoegbu is a long shot to hear his name called on Wednesday.
Martayveus Carter, RB, Grand Valley State: There are a handful of small-school running backs dotting NFL rosters, but most have taken the long road to earn their place in the league. Despite being a Division II All-American with an impressive resume (rushed for 1,900-plus yards and 20 touchdowns in 2016), Carter is likely to enter the NFL as an undrafted free agent due to concerns about his size and durability as a jitterbug runner with a game built on speed, quickness and wiggle instead of strength and power. Without a pro day to verify his reported size (6-0, 200 pounds) and speed, he is hoping his game tape will be convincing enough for a team to pull the trigger on draft day. Although his natural running skills make him worthy of securing a spot on a 90-man training camp roster, I'm not convinced that he is special enough to sacrifice a future draft pick on his long-term potential.
Whenever the Supplemental Draft comes up on the NFL calendar there are always questions about the event. ESPN's Kevin Seifert tackles some of those annual questions.
What's the purpose of this thing?
The supplemental draft accounts for players who did not declare for the traditional spring draft but are eligible to enter the NFL; they are at least three years removed from high school. Usually their college circumstances have changed in some way since the January declaration window, be it NCAA discipline or academic troubles, or both. Such players can petition for supplemental draft eligibility.
I've never seen this broadcasted. Where do they stage it?
On this great big thing called the Internet. During one of the few quiet periods of the year, no one wants -- or needs -- to travel to a central location. Instead, the NFL provides teams with a list of eligible players. A modified bidding process then takes place.
At 1 p.m. ET on the day of the draft, teams are notified that the first round has started. Teams then have 10 minutes to respond if they wish to draft a player in that round. The league compiles the responses, if any, and awards the player to the team with the highest priority. All 32 teams are notified electronically of the selection, and the process repeats for each round.
How is the priority determined?
With a weighted lottery based on the April draft order. Teams learn the supplemental draft order shortly before it begins.
Are teams given a separate set of supplemental draft picks?
Nope. If a team wins its bid, it forfeits the corresponding draft choice for the following spring's draft. For example, a team that uses its third-round pick in the 2018 supplemental draft would lose its third-round pick in the April 2019 draft. And a team that doesn't own a 2019 third-round pick can't participate in the third round of the 2018 supplemental draft.
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Best of luck to the five players hoping to continue their football dreams.
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