With most of free agency and the NFL Draft in the books, teams normally have their rosters relatively set heading into training camp. Of course, teams can still add players to their rosters via free agency and they also have the opportunity to draft in the NFL Supplemental Draft in July. Since it was created in 1977, there have only been 43 players selected in the supplemental draft, though there may be a 44th player added to that list after this years draft.
It was announced over the weekend that Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander was kicked off the team after being ruled academically ineligible. Some thought the former Hookie would forego his senior season and declare for the draft in 2018, but Alexander was set on playing his senior year and making a run at a National Championship. That all changed when Alexander was kicked off the team over the weekend.
Statement from Adonis Alexander. pic.twitter.com/walcjbp4Dq
— Andy Ross (@adross77) June 1, 2018
If you are unfamiliar with how the supplemental draft works NFL Operations breaks it down for you here.
SUPPLEMENTAL DRAFT
In July, the league may hold one supplemental draft for players whose eligibility has changed since the NFL Draft. A player may not bypass the NFL Draft to be eligible for the supplemental draft. Teams do not have to participate in the supplemental draft; if they choose to do so, they may bid for the player by telling the league the round in which they would like to take a specific player. If no other club bids on that player, they are awarded the player and lose a pick in the following year’s NFL Draft that corresponds with the round in which they were awarded the player. If multiple teams submit bids for the player, the highest bidder is awarded that player and loses the corresponding draft pick.
The process for adding new players from college has changed dramatically since the first draft in 1936. The stakes are significantly higher now, and the league has instituted a more formal process to ensure equity among all 32 clubs.
A successful draft can forever change the trajectory of a franchise. Teams do their best to predict how a player will perform at the game’s highest level, but any draft pick can turn into an NFL legend. Perhaps this year a player taken in the sixth round will become the next Tom Brady.
The 6-foot-3, 200-lb cornerback has the size and length that Cowboys’ secondary coach Kris Richard loves in his defensive backs. Alexander is more than just a physical specimen, he has some very intriguing skills as a cover corner who can play in either man or zone schemes. If his cover skills don’t impress you, his ball skills may. In his three years at Virginia Tech, Alexander hauled in seven interceptions in just 32 games. Alexander uses his freaky length and physical stature to make plays on the ball and in the run game against opposing offensive players.
6'2-6'3 length can go a long way from the trail position. Adonis Alexander is hard to drop in the bucket over. pic.twitter.com/xHmpxT9LFW
— Kyle Crabbs (@NDTScouting) June 4, 2018
There are some flaws with Alexander. One is his off-the field issues.
A lot of Alexander’s concerns stem from off-the-field issues. He was caught using marijuana in 2016, which caused him to miss the first game of the season. He also violated Virginia Tech’s team rules in 2017, which resulted in his being suspended for the first two games of that year.
There are also question about his consistency and his 2017 tape not being as good as the previous year’s.
The Cowboys secondary depth chart looks to already be set with Chidobe Awuzie, Byron Jones, Jourdan Lewis, and Anthony Brown in the top spots, with Marquez White and a few other young cornerbacks competing for a bottom of the depth chart spot. Could Adonis Alexander now being available intrigue Kris Richard and Rod Marinelli? For a guy a lot of people thought could go high in the 2019 NFL Draft, it’s certainly something the Cowboys’ defensive coaching staff should be having some conversations about.
Some experts have predicted that he should go with a fifth-round pick at the earliest in the supplemental.