What is a supplemental draft in NFL? How do supplemental draft picks work?

2023 NFL Draft - Rounds 4-7
The supplementary draft for 2023 is scheduled for July.

The first NFL Supplemental Draft took place in 1977. It's designed for participants who, for a plethora of reasons, do not enter the traditional NFL draft that year but desire to participate in the upcoming season.

A player who is no more qualified to play another year of college football is qualified to apply for the NFL supplemental draft. The NFL sets the day of the supplemental draft typically in the early summer, with the draft traditionally taking place in July for players who are eligible.

Any team that makes an offer for a player in the supplemental draft has to give up their choice in that round in the next year's draft. To be clear, a team would lose their third-round selection in the NFL Draft the next year if it uses that selection to make an offer on a player in the supplemental draft.

A player must submit an official request to the league to be selected in the supplemental draft. There's no assurance that every player who applies will be accepted. Of course, to be qualified for the supplemental draft, players must have graduated from high school at least three years before.


When is the NFL supplemental draft in 2023?

The NFL decided against conducting a supplemental draft in 2022, marking the second straight year they didn't do so.

We already have a date for the expected return of the NFL supplemental draft in 2023. The Athletic reports that the NFL Supplemental Draft for 2023 will be held on Tuesday (July 11). Players must submit an application to the league office to be accepted for the same, though.

The Arizona Cardinals made a fifth-round bid on safety Jalen Thompson in 2019, making him the last player selected in a supplemental draft.

A team has used a first-round selection in the NFL Supplemental Draft eight times, the latest being in 1992.

The most famous players selected in the supplemental draft include Terrelle Pryor, Josh Gordon, Ahmad Brooks, Bernie Kosar and Cris Carter. Therefore, through this process, there can always be a gem in the dirt waiting to be unearthed.

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