NFL Supplemental Draft 2016: Date, time, format, rules and eligible players

The 2016 NFL Supplemental Draft is set for Thursday and there are six players eligible to be taken. The big name is Ra’Zahn Howard of Purdue, a big defensive tackle who can play the nose spot at the next level but was dismissed from Purdue for academic reasons. He’s flashed top-flight potential here and there, but his inconsistency is a concern.

Whether a team would put up a pick in the supplemental draft for him or anyone else is the big question.

Players are eligible for the supplemental draft if they were not eligible for the regular NFL Draft for whatever reason. Players typically go the supplemental draft route for academic or disciplinary reasons. Howard had his academic issues, while someone like wide receiver Rashaun Simonise is eligible after playing college football in Canada.

Isaiah Battle was taken by the then-St. Louis Rams in the supplemental draft last year. They gave up a fifth-round pick to get him. Before that, the most recent supplemental draft pick was Josh Gordon, whom the Cleveland Browns took with a second-round pick back in 2012.

The order of draft priority for the supplemental draft is essentially determined by record, but there is something of an auction system at play behind the scenes on top of that. All 32 teams are placed into three tiers, the first of which includes teams with six or fewer wins. The team with the worst record gets the best chance at earning top priority within that group.

The second tier consists of the rest of the non-playoff teams and uses the same weighted system. Finally, the last group consists of 12 playoff teams from the 2015-16 season, and also follows the same weighted system as the other two tiers.

Teams simply submit a list of players they are interested in drafting, and which round of the draft they’d like to select that player in. The team with the highest “bid” is eventually awarded the player, and has to forfeit the corresponding pick for that round in the following year’s NFL Draft. If two teams go after the same player in the same round, the tier and weighting system described above comes into play.

Last year, the Rams’ selection of Battle was the only pick. Battle didn’t even wind up making the Rams’ 53-man roster, but they still had to forfeit a fifth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

DT Ra’Zahn Howard, Purdue
WR Rashaun Simonise, Calgary
CB Tee Shepard, Ole Miss
DE Cameron Walton, Concordia
LS Eddie D’Antuono, Virginia Tech
RB Jalen Overstreet, Sam Houston State

For a full breakdown of the six eligible players and their chances of being drafted, go here.

There is no actual event held around the supplemental draft, as it happens behind closed doors. Of the six players eligible this year, only Howard and Simonise figure to have a chance at being selected. If they or anyone else is selected, the NFL will provide a release with the news. There is an official start time of 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, however, so look for news about potential selections around that time.