2012 Supplemental draft prospects
2012 NFL Supplemental Draft: Everything You Need To Know
By Matt Conner - Editor
A complete breakdown explaining the ins and outs of the Supplemental Draft and player profiles of the eight prospects available.
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Jul 2, 2012 - The NFL Supplemental Draft is coming up on July 12, which means that draftniks have at least a little something to look forward to before the long road ahead to the 2013 NFL Draft. While there's very little to boast about year to year regarding the talent available, there have been a few gems to break into the league via the Supplemental Draft. That means this year's eligible players are worth a closer look.
For the uninitiated, the Supplemental Draft doesn't operate the same way the traditional NFL Draft will. Instead the SD conducts its business by having teams submit closed, secret bids on what round they would take a particular player in if it was a regular draft. The team then loses that draft pick in the next year's traditional draft.
Only 41 players have been taken since 1977, so it averages out to just one player or so per year. Last year two were taken with the most high profile choice being Terrelle Pryor by the Oakland Raiders.
Perhaps the best players to ever be taken include wide receiver Cris Carter in '87, quarterbacks Bernie Kosar and Steve Walsh, and linebacker Brian Bosworth. Rob Moore, the famed wideout for the Cardinals, came out in 1990 and Miek Wahle, the great tackle for the Packers, was drafted in '98. Other AFC West notables include Broncos running back Bobby Humphrey, former Chiefs OT Jared Gaither and Jamal Williams, longtime defensive lineman for the San Diego Chargers.
So what is in store this year. Here's a quick look below at the players available in this year's Supplemental Draft.
Boise State DB Quaylon Ewing
Ewing is a 6-0, 179 lb. corner who only played one year for Boise State, making four starts. He had 26 tackles last season. He was a star in the defensive backfield and special teams in high school, so that experience could help him make the fringes of a roster or practice squad. He was dismissed from the team for "failing to live up to the standards of the program", so he's a mystery until teams can interview him one-on-one.
Baylor WR Josh Gordon
In 2010, Gordon had 42 catches for 714 yards and 7 touchdowns for Baylor before transferring to Utah. He never played for the Utes and now he's coming into the league with some question marks. From NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal, "Gordon is likely to receive the most attention from media and teams in the buildup to the draft. I spoke with former NFL scout (and current NFL.com analyst) Daniel Jeremiah on Monday, who said that Gordon is building some buzz among teams. At 6'4" and 225 pounds with good speed, Gordon looks the part."
Syracuse RB Adam Harris
Harris is not a character concern, unlike most in the Supplemental Draft, but rather he's had concussion issues which forced him off of the field in college. Instead he chose shot put with the Syracuse track and field team, so he's remained competitive and in shape. He's a former linebacker at Cornell turned fullback with Syracuse, so he could be that all-around athlete that a team takes a flier on.
Iowa State T Adrian Haughton
Haughton is a 6-4, 360 lb. tackle whose size will gain him instant notice in NFL front offices. Little is known about him other than he apparently played in the Arena Football League with the Orlando Predators this past season.
Carson-Newman LB Larry Lumpkin
He's the Eagles best defensive player, but Lumpkin (6-0, 240) had academic concerns that forced him to miss his senior season. He had 94 tackles his junior year for Carson-Newman.
Georgia DE Montez Robinson
Battery and criminal damages charges against Robinson got him dismissed from Mark Richt's team back in 2010, and those legal troubles might make him the shakiest of all characters in this year's Supplemental Draft. Robinson was once named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week and was being transitioned to outside linebacker at the time of his dismissal, so there's some potential here.
McMurray WR Houston Tuminello
The 6-0, 190 lb. receiver played for two years at Louisiana Tech before transferring to McMurry, but from there things get hard to find. In those two seasons, Tuminello had 22 catches for 193 yards, so it's a limited sample size. He left the team for personal reasons in the fall of 2009.
TCU RB Ed Wesley
Wesley has some of the best production of any of the players available in the draft, which will make scouting him much easier than the others. He had 120 carries for 726 yards and 6 touchdowns for TCU last season, but left the team due to "family reasons." Dane Brugler of CBS writes, "Wesley (5-9, 200) has good vision, anticipation and decisive movements as a runner, but isn't overly elusive. He has battled the injury bug over his career, especially to his shoulder after missing three games last season. Wesley isn't guaranteed to be selected in the Supplemental Draft, but he was considered a mid-to-late round draft pick after his junior season."
