Each July, the NFL supplemental draft sneaks into the news cycle and prompts the same question: What the hell is this thing again?
The NFL supplemental draft works in a way that's actually quite simple, yet because of the format, players are rarely selected in the process. Eight players have been picked in the NFL supplemental draft over the last 10 years, including two last July. In 2019, only a few players are eligible for the supplemental draft, but none are expected to be selected.
The reason players are rarely picked in the NFL supplemental draft is simple. The format is such that a team forfeits a pick in the following year's draft if it chooses to select a player in the supplemental draft. Why give up, say, a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft for a player who was eligible for but didn't enter the 2019 NFL Draft?
