Everything you need to know about Tuesday’s NFL Supplemental Draft

The NFL will hold its Supplemental Draft on Tuesday.

Through this event, players not eligible for the NFL Draft in April may be drafted after becoming eligible. (Issues affecting a player’s eligibility for the April draft include academics and discipline during their most-recent college season).

Wide receiver Josh Gordon (2012) and quarterback Steve Young (1984) are among the well-known players who joined the league through this process — but the NFL hasn’t held one since 2019.

The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t acquired a player this way since 1992, when they gave up a second-round pick to get defensive end Darren Mickell, who appeared in 45 games (including 19 starts) over four years in Kansas City. He finished his nine-year NFL career with the New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders.

Which players are eligible?

Just two players are available in 2023’s supplemental draft — both of them wide receivers.

Jackson State’s Malachi Wideman checks in at 6’5” and 190 lbs. A former four-star recruit who began his career at Tennessee, he saw little use there. He transferred to Jackson State in 2021, catching 37 passes for 589 yards and 13 touchdowns over 17 games. He was declared academically ineligible in 2022.

Purdue’s Milton Wright stands 6’3” and weighs 195 lbs. Over three seasons with the Boilermakers, he appeared in 29 games, collecting 99 passes for 1,325 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was also declared academically ineligible for the 2022 season.

How does it work?

In the April draft, teams pick from worst to best based on each team’s record in the previous season. But in the later edition, the 32 teams are placed into three tiers: playoff teams in the previous season are in the first tier, and non-playoff teams (with seven or more wins) are in the second tier. The rest of the league’s teams go into the third tier. Based on those tiers, the league runs a weighted lottery to determine the draft order.

Teams may bid a pick from the following year’s draft for an available player. If two teams both offer a pick from the same round, the team with the earlier pick gets the player. If a team is awarded a player, it then forfeits that pick in the next draft.

If a player put forward in the supplemental draft is not selected by any team, they become a free agent.

What the Chiefs could do

Few would argue that Kansas City needs additional prospects for its wide receiver room; as it is, many are predicting the Chiefs will carry an unprecedented seven wideouts into the regular season. But at the same time, no one has ever accused general manager Brett Veach of being unwilling to exhaust every possibility while searching for talent. If one of these two players has been on Veach’s radar, he will likely place a bid. But under the circumstances, it seems unlikely to be a high pick.

UPDATE: According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, neither player was drafted.