The NFL Supplemental Draft and Barriers to NFL Entry
The NFL eliminated their supplemental draft for the third straight year in 2022. Krebs’ latest NFL Monday column looks into what went behind the decision and how it will affect those with NFL dreams.
Most players enter the NFL through the traditional seven-round draft or sign with teams as an undrafted free agent. In some rare cases, the supplemental draft is another avenue for players with unique eligibility to find their way into the league. NFL players find their path into the NFL through traditional or non-traditional means, but they need that one shot, that one opportunity to showcase their talent to the NFL world.
The NFL Supplemental Draft closed this past week, eliminating another opportunity for players in unique situations to get that one shot into the NFL. While not a significant storyline amid the hundreds of players that enter the NFL, the loss of the supplemental draft for the third straight year is another sign of a longshot barrier to entry that is becoming fainter and fainter, year by year. Part of finding a path in life is to see how it unravels, especially in cases where change will not happen due to institutionalized corporations laying down the law.
As NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported, the league has the authority to determine if the supplemental draft takes place on a year-to-year basis. The concession of the rights to the supplemental draft is shocking for an NFLPA that should stand by every entering player, regardless of circumstance. Clearly not a deciding factor in CBA negotiations that were a give-and-take, the NFL shattered someone’s NFL dreams for the third straight year.
Pro Football Talk reported that the last player drafted in the NFL Supplemental Draft was Jalen Thompson by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019. Despite the lack of activity around the draft, all it takes is that one player for the draft to be a success.
In a worst-case scenario, no teams had to select a player if the draft happened. Limiting an entry to the NFL goes against the NFL’s M.O. of a league of opportunity. Restricting players whose eligibility waned may not crack the biggest news sites or be the most popular talking point in NFL circles but understanding and respecting the rights of those who wish to pursue their dreams should always be the focus of the league body.
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