The NFL Supplemental Draft is held for players that were not selected in the NFL Draft back in April. History tells that the supplement draft isn’t much of a success. Notable names taken in the draft, however, included wide receiver Cris Carter, who is on his way to the Hall of Fame, and Josh Gordon. If Gordon hadn’t been suspended for two years for marijuana, he could have been the next Devin Hester.
Can Any 2016 NFL Supplemental Draft Players Succeed?
There were only six players eligible for the 2016 NFL Supplement Draft. After 15 minutes, none of them were drafted. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said that the draft was to be doomed before it even started. Only one of the seven players had a pro day and no scouts even showed up.
With the failure of the supplemental draft, does this mean that the seven players who are now free agents won’t succeed in the NFL if picked up by a team? Let’s take a look at the seven players.
Ra’Zhan Howard, defensive tackle, Purdue University
Howard played 29 games over three seasons for the Boilermakers. He recorded a total of 47 tackles, 3.5 of which were for a loss, and three sacks. In 2015, he recorded 23 tackles, 1.5 of which were for a loss, and one sack in ten games. He was eventually dismissed from the team for academic reasons.
Not only was he limited due to dismissal but also because of the fact that Purdue used a heavy rotation, especially on the defensive line. So Howard could potentially be a good pickup for a team that lacks depth at that position.
Rashaun Simonise, wide receiver, Calgary
Simonise attended college and played his college football at the University of Calgary in Canada. He was in the supplemental draft due to being ruled academically ineligible. So if he had been ruled academically eligible, he may have gotten the notoriety that he deserved.
In 2015, Simonise caught 51 passes for 1,079 yards and 11 touchdowns in just eight games played. These numbers would impress most teams. As a matter of fact, Simonise was the lone player in the supplement draft to hold a pro day. The nine scouts who showed up were from teams including the Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, and Indianapolis Colts.
Simonise deserves an invite to training camp. If he were to get one from any of the teams of which scouts attended his pro day, the Rams would be the perfect team. With a team that contains Simonise, as well as Tavon Austin, number one overall pick Jared Goff and power running back Todd Gurley, the Rams could be a serious competitor. The Colts could also use him to go along with Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton.
Editor’s Note: Simonise signed with the Cincinnati Bengals hours after the Supplemental Draft.
Tee Shepard, cornerback, Ole Miss
Shepard was a five-star cornerback coming out of high school. Academics have kept him from showing that he is still at that level. He was forced to go to community college from Notre Dame and then joined Ole Miss in 2015.
Shepard wound up leaving the school in October after a disagreement with coaches. He only recorded two tackles and one pass deflection in five games.
Shepard’s problem is that he has not been able to show what he is really made of. If a team gave him a chance, he may prove to be a great cornerback. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like he will be getting an invite to any training camp.
Cameron Walton, defensive end, Concordia
Concordia’s football program folded, so Walton didn’t get to show everyone what he could do. His coach, however, did say that he recorded “around 20 sacks”. Unfortunately, no stats were officially recorded, so we can’t take anything away from just words.
Eddie D’Antuono, long snapper, Virginia Tech
He’s a long snapper. The only way he gets signed by a team is if their starting long snapper is injured.
Jalen Overstreet, running back, Sam Houston State
Overstreet was originally at Texas before transferring to Sam Houston State. It’s possible that he will wind up spending more time behind bars than behind a quarterback. He could be facing up to two years in prison for felony debit/credit card abuse.
