Update:
First off, we would like to apologize
for the incorrect information in the
Supplemental Draft Preview regarding
former USC defensive tackle Manuel
Wright. Mr. Wright was never suspended
for any reason at USC and was never
known to have any problems there other
than academics. Our apologies go out to
any readers, team members or player
representatives that were misinformed.
In having talked with Mr. Wright's
agent, we are hearing great things about
his workouts and interviews. One team
said to be especially interested is the
Philadelphia Eagles. We'll get into that
more next week when we sit down with the
star of the Supplemental Draft, Manuel
Wright.
With the
2005 Supplemental Draft only a month and change
away, I thought I'd take this time to answer any
questions you may be having about the draft.
It's a little different than the regular college
draft and most people are not real clear on how
it works. Here's a breakdown of when it is, how
it works and who to know.
What is
the Supplemental Draft and how does it work?
The 2005
Supplemental Draft will be held on July 14th,
where a handful of college players will test
their luck in the draft with NFL teams. The
Supplemental draft is for college players that
have either lost their eligibility after the
regular NFL draft deadline or have decided to
forego their final year(s) of eligibility to
pursue a NFL career. Here are some of the rules
and specifics:
- NFL
teams can opt not to use their pick if they so
desire.
- The
order is done much like the NBA draft, with a
lottery determining the outcome.
- The
draft is now conducted via email, where it was
formerly held by conference call. There are
seven rounds, just like the regular draft.
- When a
team's pick comes up, they can opt to use that
pick or not too. By using a pick in the 2005
supplemental draft, that team will forfeit their
pick in the corresponding round in the 2006
college draft. An example of this was when the
Houston Texans selected RB Tony Hollings with
their second round pick in the supplemental and
had to forfeit their regular second rounder for
him.
Who is
in the Supplemental Draft and why?
This class
has the most hype of any in recent memory, with
three very good players entering. University of
Southern California defensive tackle Manuel
Wright missed most of the 2004 season after
being suspended for waving a pellet gun at a
student and his status was questionable for the
2005 season due to
academic issues.
Instead of sitting out two consecutive years,
Wright will take his limited experience to the
supplemental draft. Wright is a 6'6', 290lb
tackle with ideal size and strength. He was a
part-time starter as a sophomore at USC and was
expected to be a full-time starter for the
upcoming season.
Joining
Wright is former Clemson wide receiver Roscoe
Crosby. Crosby was considered one of the best
athletes ever in High School when he graduated
in 2001. He was recruited by virtually every
school in the nation and chose the Tigers.
However, Crosby was being touted as a great
baseball player too and the Kansas City Royals
selected him in the second round of the 2001
draft. Crosby would have been selected much
higher, but teams were nervous about his
commitment to the gridiron. The Royals wisely
signed Crosby to a contract worth $1.75million
dollars and promised to pay for his college
tuition. That was as good as the story would get
for Roscoe, as three of his friends died and two
more were injured in a tragic car accident while
driving to watch him play baseball. Soon after,
injuries to his elbow would keep Crosby from
playing sports and it led to his leaving Clemson
and unexpectedly leaving the Royals. Crosby
could have enrolled in school for a year, but
his five-year window to play collegiate sports
was closing. He instead decided to enter the
Supplemental Draft. Crosby is a 6-2, 208lb
receiver with 4.4 speed.
Former
Kentucky middle linebacker Chad Johnson will
also be entering the draft. Johnson led the SEC
in tackles in 2003 with 125, but has battled
with academics since then and would not have
been eligible for the upcoming season. Johnson
is a solid prospect who has good size, but plays
with more fundamentals and technique than most
linebackers.
