The Definitive Grantland NFL Supplemental Mock Draft
Matthew Emmons/US Presswire
Here at Grantland, we’re suffering from the same affliction that’s sweeping the rest of the nation: NFL supplemental draft fever! Yes, the NFL lockout delayed the beloved midsummer tradition, and the league had to figure out Terrelle Pryor’s eligibility before our big day, but now it’s finally here. It’s time for teams to get their supplement on. Monday’s proceedings will be tense for every team’s fans, so here’s our latest mock draft to help cut through the guesswork and uncertainty.
You probably already know the supplemental draft procedure by heart, but for the (very) few readers who are still in the dark, here’s a quick rundown. The NFL’s supplemental draft is like a silent auction, only way more awesome. Each team submits a “bid” of the round in which it would like to select an eligible player, and the low bid takes it! If two teams want to draft an eligible player in the same round, priority is assigned via a weighted lottery system based on last season’s records.
If a team selects a player in a round of the supplemental draft, it forfeits its pick in the corresponding round of the 2012 NFL Draft. That price means that there are serious repercussions for any franchise that botches a supplemental pick. Seventh-round draft picks don’t just grow on trees! (Although draft-pick trees would make for one amazing orchard, folks! A bouquet of draft picks anyone?)
Will we probably assign at least a couple of players to the wrong teams? Of course, but no mock draft is ever perfect. We’re talking about 224 potential picks spread over seven rounds, so there’s no shame in whiffing on two or three selections.
Enough talk. Let’s get ready to MOCK.
Round One: All 32 teams pass on making a selection.
Analysis: Another supplemental draft, another slow start. No team has used a first-rounder in the supplemental draft since the New York Giants selected quarterback Dave Brown in 1992.
Round Two: All 32 teams pass on making a selection.
Analysis: Still quiet. The Texans were the last team to burn a second-rounder when they took Georgia Tech running back Tony Hollings in the 2003 Supplemental Draft. Clearly, there’s not a player of Hollings’ caliber in every supplemental draft.
Round Three: All 32 teams pass on making a selection.
Analysis: Wait for it
Round Four: The Denver Broncos select Michael McAdoo, defensive end from the University of North Carolina. The other 31 teams pass on making a selection.
Analysis: Boom! Is it just us, or is it finally feeling drafty in here? The Broncos add defensive line depth with a situational pass rusher. Watch out, AFC West!
Round Five: The Buffalo Bills select Terrelle Pryor, quarterback from Ohio State. The other 31 teams pass on making a selection.
Analysis: Love this pick for the Bills! It’s not every day you get a chance to draft a guy without a clear position, especially one who’s already suspended by the NFL for five games. Watch out, Jim Kelly; your spot in the Bills’ franchise record book may be in danger. You, too, Alex Van Pelt!
Round Six: All 32 teams pass on making a selection.
Analysis: Finally, a chance to catch our breath after two rounds of craziness! Get ready for a flurry of final-round fliers
Round Seven: All 32 teams pass on making a selection.
Analysis: All good things must come to an end and sometimes there’s just not enough players to go around in a supplemental draft. It’s hard to find someone like Joshua Price-Brent, a seventh-round selection in last year’s supplemental draft.
And there we have it, our mock draft is finished and the next 364 days are all about trying to figure who will be taken in the whirlwind that is the 2012 supplemental draft. Check your local listings to find out where it’s airing (it’s probably on multiple networks as it’s a very popular event) and see if your draft picks beat ours! See everyone here next year!
Follow Grantland on Twitter or check out Grantland’s Facebook page.
Read more of The Triangle, Grantland’s sports blog.
Contact us at triangle@grantland.com
More from
-
We Went There: Clippers-Mavs and DeAndre Jordan Night in Los Angeles
-
No Messi, No Problem: Neymar Becomes a Superstar
-
World Series Weekend: Five Questions for Three (or Two) Royals-Mets Games
-
Brand Echh: Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton Can’t Save the Lame ‘Our Brand Is Crisis’
-
50 Scenes That Do Not Appear in the Fox ‘X-Files’ Revival
More
-
We Went There: Clippers-Mavs and DeAndre Jordan Night in Los Angeles
-
No Messi, No Problem: Neymar Becomes a Superstar
-
World Series Weekend: Five Questions for Three (or Two) Royals-Mets Games
-
Brand Echh: Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton Can’t Save the Lame ‘Our Brand Is Crisis’
-
50 Scenes That Do Not Appear in the Fox ‘X-Files’ Revival