2018 NFL Supplemental Draft: How early will teams bite at Sam Beal?

By George Stockburger | Jul 1, 2018

ARLINGTON, TX - JANUARY 2: Sam Beal #18 of the Western Michigan Broncos and teammate Keion Adams #1 react after stopping the Wisconsin Badgers from a first down during the first half of the 81st Goodyear Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium on January 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) /

The 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft could be the most active we’ve ever seen

Five prospects have declared for the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft, which typically carries much less fanfare than the roadshow that rolled through Dallas two months ago.

This year, however, the Supplemental Draft has a handful of prospects who could be the highest picks since Terrelle Pryor in 2011.

Most notably is Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal, who is coming off a junior season where he set career highs with two interceptions and 10 pass deflections. Beal was ruled academically ineligible for the 2018 season, and rather than sit a year as a college athlete, he opted to enter the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft.

Former Dallas Cowboys vice president of player personnel and current NFL.com senior analyst and SiriusXM NFL Radio host Gil Brandt says one team viewed Beal as a second-round pick had he entered the 2018 NFL Draft.

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It’s highly unlikely Beal or any of the five players who’ve declared will be drafted any higher than the third round, if they’re drafted at all. Teams that select a player in the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft will lose a draft pick in the 2019 NFL Draft when it rolls into Nashville, Tennessee.

If a team uses a second-round pick in the Supplemental Draft, they risk losing a very high second-round pick in 2019 for a player that slipped out of the first round.

The last time a player was drafted in the second round of the supplemental draft was Josh Gordon in 2012, which cost them the 39th overall pick in 2013.

Le’Veon Bell was drafted by the Steelers nine picks later, and Travis Kelce went early in the third round, just to put the value of that pick into context.

Five teams own multiple picks in the second round thanks to prior trades: Philadelphia via Baltimore, New England via Chicago, Kansas City via the LA Rams, Indianapolis via the NY Jets, and Houston via Seattle.

A third-round pick is much less valuable, and though still coveted, teams are likely to dip their toes in the water.

New England and Cleveland are the only teams who currently own multiple picks in the third round, while Buffalo owns an extra fourth round pick next year.

Philadelphia currently stands to have 10 picks next year, while New Orleans and the Los Angeles Rams have just five each.

Next: 2019 NFL Mock Draft: Breaking down the top-10

It feels likely Beal will be gone by the time the fourth-round rolls around on July 11, but the other four players are likely to be there for the picking. Virginia Tech’s Adonis Alexander projects to be the next best player, and could warrant a fourth-round pick.