The NFL granted eligibility for Jackson State wide receiver Malachi Wideman and Purdue wideout Milton Wright to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft on Tuesday.
Wright and Wideman are the only two players who can be selected in this year’s draft, one that returns for the first time since 2019. The supplemental draft, which started in 1977, was created to provide eligibility to players who would have been eligible for the NFL draft but chose not to declare because of unique circumstances.
One of the most common reasons for a player to seek eligibility for the supplemental draft is that he was ruled ineligible for the upcoming college season after the annual NFL draft. Without the supplemental draft, the player would be absent from football for an entire year.
To seek supplemental draft eligibility, a player must file a formal petition to the league and be three years removed from high school. However, it is not guaranteed that the NFL will admit every player seeking draft eligibility.
Any team selecting a player in the supplemental draft would give up the corresponding pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 5, 2023
Wideman, a former wide receiver at Tennessee, was a key target for former JSU quarterback Shedeur Sanders during his freshman season. The 6’ 5” wide receiver tallied 34 receptions for 540 yards and 12 touchdowns, which tied for the most touchdown receptions in the SWAC during the 2021 season. In the ’22 campaign, Wideman saw limited action, recording just three receptions for 49 yards and one touchdown in six games.
In three years at Purdue, Wright caught 99 passes for 1,325 yards and 10 touchdowns, while averaging 13.4 yards per catch. He made his biggest impact on the program last season when he amassed 57 receptions for 732 yards and seven touchdowns.
Some of the notable players selected from past supplemental drafts include Jalen Thompson, who was selected in the fifth round in 2019, and Sam Beal, who was drafted by the Giants in ‘18. Other selections include, Isaiah Battle (Rams) in 2015, Josh Gordon (Browns) in ‘12 and Terrelle Pryor (Raiders) in ‘11.
