11 July 2023 , 20:09
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The first NFL Supplemental Draft since 2019 saw neither player picked up by any of the 32 teams, leaving Malachi Wideman and Milton Wright with uncertain futures.
Wideman and Wright were the only two players eligible for the draft on Tuesday, with both hopefuls in the wide receiver position. Wideman stood out as a six-foot-five threat, but after a breakthrough 2021 season at Jackson State he barely featured the following year.
The same was the case for Wright, who missed the entire 2022 season at Purdue after being ruled academically ineligible. The supplemental draft is for players ruled ineligible for the upcoming season, after the official NFL Draft has taken place.
It allows players to be considered by NFL teams, otherwise they face a whole season out with college and men's options closed off. But unfortunately for Wideman and Wright, unless they receive offers as free agents, they will find themselves in that situation.
Both players had to submit a formal petition to the league in order to be considered for the draft, with one of the terms being they had to be at least three years removed from high school. Bids are submitted blindly by teams, as the order for the draft is different from the regular event.
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Teams are separated into three groups based on last season with the first group made up of non-playoff teams that recorded fewer than six wins. The second group is non-playoff teams with more than six wins and the final group is teams that made the playoffs teams. The order is decided by a weighted lottery.
But neither Wideman nor Wright were selected and now must entertain free agency, and inevitable try-outs. Their lack of a 2022 season has clearly worked against them, as the risk was too high for NFL teams.
If a team uses a supplemental draft pick then they'll lose their corresponding regular 2024 draft pick. Teams were unable to forfeit a future draft pick for uncertain talents, but that doesn't mean they can't assess the players following the event. Wideman received 12 touchdowns in his first year with Jackson State, after transferring from Tennessee ahead of the 2021 season. But the following season he only completed three catches.
Wright scored seven touchdowns in the 2021 season and the six-foot-three receiver made 57 catches. But after being ruled ineligible he hasn't played high-level competitive football in over a year. There have been some success stories in the past following the supplemental draft, including the likes of Josh Gordon and Jalen Thompson. But even though the event was held for the first time in four years, no players came out of it with a positive result.