The NFL Supplemental Draft is to be held this Wednesday, the 17th. For those unfamiliar with the process, the supplemental draft is held for players who did not declare for the regular draft, but then lost eligibility for the upcoming college season (most commonly due to academic reasons). This year's supplemental draft was kept in limbo for a while, and Terrelle Pryor's eligibility stayed in limbo even after it was scheduled.
To pick a player in the supplemental draft you have to give up a pick in next year's draft. Obviously, to give up such a pick, you have to have it. We don't have all our picks left for next year. We gave up a 7th for Tyler Polumbus (per Farnsworth) and a conditional 5th for Marshawn Lynch (per PFT). We haven't got any picks out of trades so far, so we don't have a 7th and we don't have a 5th or 6th to spend.
The current list of eligible players, which might still change, consists of Northern Illinois S Tracy Wilson, Georgia RB Caleb King, Western Carolina CB Torez Jones, Lindenwood University DE Keenan Mace, North Carolina DE Michael McAdoo and perhaps Ohio State QB Terelle Pryor. It's a pretty poor class, though I've seen worse. For a while it looked like a 1st-round talent like Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd or Floride CB Janoris Jenkins might join in, but, well, they didn't. So out of the group, is there anyone for us?
Ohio State QB Terelle Pryor: Of this lot, Pryor is the only one I've scouted first-hand. There's a lot of personality question marks surrounding Terrelle, making money selling memorabilia (how dare he) and driving a sports car with a possibly suspended license. He was banned from the university in June, which is where his possible eligibility for the supplemental draft comes from.
I don't really care about the personality marks, teams will do their own due diligence on him. But watching Terrelle Pryor play, I can't take him too seriously as a quarterback prospect. His running ability and athleticism are much more impressive than his throwing ability. He's a thrower with no refinement in reading defenses or passing skills, and his arm strength isn't impressive at all. It isn't terrible, but when you've got an unpolished thrower (one that needs years of works before he'd be able to play as an NFL QB) without an outstanding arm, what's the point of trying to keep him at QB? His future in the NFL is in converting to another position (WR or TE), or as a multi-threat player like Brad Smith or Pat White. He has little to contribute to the Seahawks.
Northern Illinois FS Tracy Wilson: Wilson is a 6'2 200 pound FS who started all of 2009 and then missed much of last year with an injury, playing only 8 games. He logged the only interception of his college career last year, you can see it here at the 1:30 mark. Wilson is more of an enforcer than a ballhawk, but does play as a rangy and aggressive tackler. He's unlikely to be drafted, and we're probably too full up to consider him.
Georgia RB Caleb King: Rob Staton talked about King a while back on Field Gulls. King was a highly touted prospect out of high school but never grabbed the starting job with the Bulldogs. When on the field, he flashed decent but not outstanding all-around skills, including pretty good receiving skills for a running back. While he does not have elite speed or strength, he does hit the hole quick and has the right size for a zone runner. He's also a determined pass blocker. In the end, he lacks the upside to be drafted, and might not even end up in the NFL, though his receiving and pass blocking skills give him a shot as a 3rd-down back. We might give him a look after the supplemental draft, as we're looking at a lot of RBs.
Western Carolina CB Torez Jones: Jones is a 6'0 175 pound cornerback that broke out in his Junior season, tying a SoCon record with 4 interceptions in one game, tallying 7 interceptions over the season. He's a determined player in run support but is too slight to play that role in the NFL, and is probably too slow to be the ballhawk he was with WCU on an NFL level. More of a zone guy, definitely not for the Hawks.
Lindenwood University DE Keenan Mace: DT/DE Mace played for Lindenwood University and the indoor football league Allen Wranglers. He was actually picked up by the Cowboys for training camp, but was released as the NFL determined he lacked eligibility and needed to go into the supplemental draft. The 6'4, 313 pound player started 7 games as a DT with Lindenwood after sitting out two years for familiy responsibilities, and logged six sax with the Wranglers. He flashed a nice combination of strength/quickness with Lindenwood that made the Cowboys feel he was worth a look as a 3-4 DE, and he might be worth a look as a 5-tech with us, though he played as more of a gap-shooter than a containment player in college, but he has the build and skills. He's unlikely to be drafted, but might be worth a look after the draft, though the Cowboys are more likely to nab him again.
North Carolina DE Michael McAdoo: McAdoo was ruled permanently ineligible for "academic misconduct" (plagiarism), and when his appeals fell short he was pushed into the supplemental draft. McAdoo never got on the field much with North Carolina's stacked defensive line rotation, particularly sitting behind Rams 1st round draft pick Robert Quinn. This year would have been his year to prove himself, but sadly he won't get the opportunity.
Of all the player in the supplemental draft, McAdoo is probably the most interesting and most likely to be drafted (together with Pryor). The 6'7 245 pound DE has very high upside, flashing his potential as the MVP of the Spring Game, where he logged four sacks and one interception. Since he has only two years in college and only as a rotational pass rush player, he might still be passed up in the supplemental draft. I think some team is going to take a late-round shot based on potential. Don't think he fits in well with the Seahawks, though.