The stakes are much lower, however, and the top seed is not guaranteed. The outcome of Battle’s decision – which stems from multiple off-field developments this summer – will largely be dictated by Thursday’s draft. The team that “wins” the silent auction gives up their corresponding 2016 draft pick. Instead, the league uses a lottery to determine order.
Advertisement
Moreover, the supplemental draft is run like a silent auction: every team bids a draft pick for a player, and the team with the highest bid wins him.
Once the order has been decided, it follows the traditional draft process with teams going in order, round by round. The second tier consists of the rest of the non-playoff teams and uses the same weighted system.
That player is Clemson OT Isaiah Battle.
Another intriguing scenario is the case of two West Georgia defensive lineman both being eligible for this year’s draft. Since 1992, only 23 players have been selected, with Gordon being the most recent.
There are seven players available for selection in the draft.
It is looking likely that some team will take a chance on Isaiah Battle. There has not been a player taken in the supplemental draft since Cleveland took receiver Josh Gordon in 2012. Gaither was declared ineligible to play football at University of Maryland because of academic problems.
While a host of NFL teams sent a representative to Isaiah Battle’s Pro Day at Clemson this week, only one team and coach is mentioned specifically by name in the latest NFL.com piece on the Supplemental Draft which takes please today at 1 p.m. Eastern. Ravens fans can only continue to countdown until training camp starts. Occasionally, a Supplemental Draft addition can make a significant impact on a team’s season, too, as it did with Gordon. Cris Carter had a Hall of Fame career as a fourth-round supplemental pick. If some scouts think he is worthy of a mid-round draft pick, but slips because of character concerns, give him a shot and hope he matures.
Several experts expect Battle to be drafted around rounds three or four of the supplemental draft, but I have a feeling he’ll go later than that.
Advertisement
This spring’s draft was the first since 2003 without an offensive player from Clemson being selected. That list started with Illinois quarterback Dave Wilson (to New Orleans) in 1981 and then continued with Kosar in 1985. If they like Battle they would be set at tackle for a long, long time. Somewhat more recently, the Buccaneers ended up with fullback Darian Barnes, a Supplemental Draft entry in 2002. “Barnes was a member of the Bucs” 2002 Super Bowl championship team and appeared in 20 games total over the 2002-03 seasons.
