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Understanding the NFL supplemental draft
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- Understanding the NFL supplemental draft
The NFL Supplemental Draft is a unique, summer mechanism designed for players whose eligibility status changed after the primary NFL Draft in April—usually due to sudden academic issues, disciplinary actions, or other collegiate eligibility complications. This year's iteration is of particular interest to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the rest of the league because former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has declared and despite his serious red flags, could garner a first-round pick based on his skills and potential.
Unlike the highly televised April event, the supplemental draft is a quiet, semi-blind bidding process conducted entirely via email. Here is a breakdown of how it works.
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1. The Weighted Lottery Order
To determine the selection order, the NFL separates all 32 teams into three distinct tiers based on the previous season's results. A weighted lottery is then used to determine the exact order within each tier:
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Tier 1:Teams with six or fewer wins.
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Tier 2:Non-playoff teams with more than six wins.
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Tier 3:Teams that made the postseason.
2. The Bidding System
The draft does not feature traditional "rounds" where teams take turns on a clock. Instead, teams submit blind bids on a player.
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A team's bid consists of the specific round(from 1 to 7) they are willing to assign to that player.
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The team that submits the highest round bid is awarded the player.
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If multiple teams submit a bid for the same round, the player goes to the team with the highest priority based on the pre-determined lottery tiers.
3. The Cost: Forfeiting Future Capital
There is a catch to winning a bid. If a team successfully drafts a player in the supplemental draft, they must forfeit their corresponding pick in the next year's standard NFL Draft.For example, if a team wins a player by bidding a 3rd-round pick, they instantly lose their 3rd-round selection in the upcoming spring draft. Because of this high price tag, many supplemental drafts conclude with no players selected at all.
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Notable History
While it is rarely used for premium draft capital, the supplemental draft has produced high-profile talent over the years, including Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter, quarterback Bernie Kosar, and Pro Bowl receiver Josh Gordon .
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Understanding the NFL supplemental draft
