NFL Supplemental Draft Most Notable Picks

The supplemental draft allows players who lost college eligibility to enter the NFL early.
Sorsby's betting scandal led to his NCAA ineligibility, forcing him to take the supplemental draft route.
The supplemental draft has produced both stars and busts, as teams gamble on talent that missed the regular draft.

Houston v Texas Tech — Source: John E. Moore III / Getty

Sorsby’s scandal puts spotlight on supplemental draft

Brendan Sorsby was supposed to be Texas Tech’s next high-profile quarterback. The former Indiana and Cincinnati passer arrived with size, mobility and expectations in the Big 12. Instead, a gambling scandal and an NCAA eligibility ruling have pushed him off the college stage. Now his future runs through one of the NFL’s least understood avenues: the supplemental draft.

What the NFL supplemental draft is

The NFL supplemental draft is a mid-summer option for players who become eligible after the regular draft. Prospects usually land there after they unexpectedly lose college eligibility through academics, discipline or new rulings. Teams submit bids using future draft picks in a weighted order. Win a player with a fourth-round bid and you forfeit that pick in the next regular draft. For front offices, it is a calculated gamble on talent that slipped outside the normal process.

Why Sorsby is headed there

Sorsby’s case intensified when details of his betting history became public. He acknowledged placing numerous sports wagers, including bets on Indiana football while on the roster. The NCAA ruled him ineligible and denied efforts to restore his status.
A brief court win offered hope, but public and conference pressure quickly closed that door. With his college career effectively over, the supplemental draft has become his only realistic path forward.

That path is not entirely lonely. Over the years, the supplemental draft has produced Pro Bowlers, Hall of Famers and high-risk bets that never paid off. Sorsby now joins a controversial lineage as the league again weighs whether this quiet process can still deliver value.

Here are the most notable supplemental draft selections in NFL history.

Bernie Kosar

1985, Round 1, Cleveland Browns
Career passing: 23,301 yards, 124 TD, 87 INT; 81.8 passer rating; 108 starts

Cris Carter

1987, Round 4, Philadelphia Eagles
Career receiving: 1,101 receptions, 13,899 yards, 130 TD; 8 Pro Bowls; Hall of Fame

Brian Bozworth

1987, Round 1, Seattle Seahawks
Career defense: 24 games, all starts; career cut short by shoulder injury; 1987 All‑Rookie Team

Josh Gordon

2012, Round 2, Cleveland Browns
Career receiving (NFL only): 220 receptions, 3,826 yards, 19 TD; led NFL with 1,646 receiving yards in 2013

Terrelle Pryor

2011, Round 3, Oakland Raiders
Career passing: 1,994 yards, 9 TD, 12 INT; 3–7 record as starting QB;
Career receiving: 79 receptions, 1,071 yards, 4 TD

Steve Walsh

Supplemental draft: 1989, Round 1, Dallas Cowboys
Career passing: 7,875 yards, 40 TD, 50 INT; 20–18 record as starter; 3 playoff starts (1–2)

Ahmad Brooks

Supplemental draft: 2006, Round 3, Cincinnati Bengals
Career defense: 145 games, 104 starts; 350 tackles, 53.5 sacks; 1 Pro Bowl

Bobby Humphrey

Supplemental draft: 1989, Round 1, Denver Broncos
Career rushing: 2,857 yards, 15 rushing TD in 51 games; 1 Pro Bowl (1991)

Rob Moore

Supplemental draft: 1990, Round 1, New York Jets
Career receiving: 628 receptions, 9,368 yards, 49 TD; 2 Pro Bowls; led NFL with 1,584 receiving yards in 1997

Jalen Thompson

Supplemental draft: 2019, Round 5, Arizona Cardinals
Career defense (through 2025 season): 78 games; 400‑plus tackles, multiple sacks, 9 INT, 30‑plus passes defended (league stats to date)

Jamal Williams

Supplemental draft: 1998, Round 2, San Diego Chargers
Career defense: 164 games, 138 starts; 443 tackles, 13 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries; 3 Pro Bowls, 2 First‑Team All‑Pro