2016 NFL Supplemental Draft

Six players have been declared eligible for the 2016 NFL Supplemental Draft. That draft will be held July 14. It's often a scorcher.

Eddie D'Antuono, LS, Virginia Tech
Ra'Zahn Howard, DT, Purdue
Jalen Overstreet, RB, Sam Houston State
Tee Shepard, CB, Mississippi
Rashaun Simonise, WR, University of Calgary
Cameron Walton, DE, Concordia

Players enter the supplemental draft for a variety of reasons. Often those reasons are of the negative variety. That's certainly the case for Jalen Overstreet. He was among several players dismissed from the University of Texas football team by new coach Charlie Strong in 2014. Since this past November he's been arrested for marijuana possession, stealing an iPad from an apartment complex, and finally a charge of credit/debit card abuse. That final issue could bring some jail time. Overstreet has some explaining to do if he has any shot at a future in the NFL.

Ra'Zahn Howard has already attracted attention from all 32 teams and most, if not all, will have representatives at his July 8 Pro Day. He's not lacking for NFL size at 6'3" and 325 lbs. A three-year starter at Purdue, he left school for academic but on sound terms with his coaches and teammates. He'll get drafted. Supplemental draft players that hold Pro Days and attract the attention of all 32 teams usually do.

Tee Shepard is another interesting player. He was highly rated and highly recruited out of high school. He traveled a bit during his college days. He started at Notre Dame, bounced to Holmes Community College (Miss.) and then to Mississippi. He left the Redels team in the middle of last season and later alleged that the coaches cut his playing time due to a hearing impairment. He had planned to transfer to Miami (OH) but opted for a shot at the NFL. He has intriguing corner size at 6'1" 195 lbs and the sort of athleticism that gets a player highly ranked and highly recruited out of high school.

If an NFL team is looking for a long snapper, Eddie D'Antuono could be their man. The position has increased in importance so much in the past couple decades that every team has one player that is responsible solely for the long snapping. D'Antuono was a three-year starter for Virginia Tech. A school that annually has one of the best special teams units in the nation.

Rashaun Simonise's 6'5" 200 lb size could attract the attention of a team or teams. He caught 65 passes for 1,306 yards and 11 TDs in Canada.

43 players have been chosen in the NFL's Supplemental Draft since it's inception in 1977. Only two have been selected since 2012. The Cleveland Browns selected receiver Josh Gordon in 2012. The then-St. Louis Rams selected tackle Isaiah Battle last year. Gordon is a perfect example of the crapshoot that is the Supplemental Draft. Some of the players are incredible talents. They may also have some issues. That sounds a little like the regular draft.