Best all time supplemental draft selections

[CGI_Ram]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/...ime-top-10-nfl-supplemental-draft-selections/

NFL teams still looking for roster help will get an opportunity on Thursday, with the annual supplemental draft scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.

This year's class includes just six players and frankly none of them are expected to earn an early pick. Why should you (or NFL teams, for that matter?) be paying attention, then?

Well, because there have been some really good players selected in the supplemental draft, including some middle- and late-round surprises. Which got us to thinking: Just who are the best supplemental draft prospects of all time?

Before jumping to our top 10, it is worth pointing out that eligibility in the supplemental draft is not necessarily a good thing. A total of 43 players have been selected via the supplemental draft since its inception in 1977. The NFL added the so-called "second chance draft" to accommodate talented players who had lost their eligibility between April's draft and the beginning of the next season. Typically these were players who ran afoul of the law or failed to keep up with their academic obligations - as is again the case with many of this year's prospects.

Who knows? Maybe someone from this year's class will one day be known as a supplemental draft superstar.

For now, we see the top 10 supplemental draft players of all time like this:

10. Dave Brown, QB, Duke

• Drafted by the New York Giants, 1st round, 1992

Some Big Blue fans would argue that Tito Wooten and not Brown was the Giants' best supplemental draft pick but the importance of the quarterback position trumps all. Brown never emerged as the franchise quarterback hoped but he played 10 years in the NFL, including a three-year stretch from 1994-96 as the Giants' starter. He completed 54.6 percent of his passes over his career, throwing for 10,248 yards and 44 touchdowns.

9. Milford Brown, OG, Florida State

• Drafted by the Houston Texans, 6th round, 2002

The supplemental draft is not always about flashy skill position players. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound Brown (unrelated to the Giants' QB) was called upon to start for the Texans in just his second season. He wound up starting 47 games over a seven-year career, which included stops in Arizona, St. Louis and Jacksonville.

8. Darren Mickell, DE, Florida

• Drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs, 2nd round, 1992

The history of pass rushers via the supplemental draft is not a good one, with Mickell and his 26 career sacks ranking as the top of the class. The 6-foot-5, 285-pound Mickell enjoyed his best years in Kansas City, racking up a combined 12.5 sacks over the 1994-95 seasons before signing with New Orleans and finishing up his career with stops in Oakland and San Diego.

7. Ahmad Brooks, LB, Virginia

• Drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, 3rd round, 2006

Despite being overshadowed by All-Pros Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman in San Francisco, Brooks has proven to be a quality all-around linebacker in his own right, racking up an impressive 47.5 sacks among his 317 career tackles. The 6-foot-3, 259-pound Brooks was especially productive in 2013, when he posted career-highs in tackles (60), sacks (8.5) and even passes defensed (seven), including the third interception of his decade-long career.

6. Josh Gordon, WR, Baylor

Will Josh Gordon play another down for the Browns? USATSI

• Drafted by the Cleveland Browns, 2nd round, 2012

Gordon has the talent to rank much higher on this list, but his career in the NFL is in jeopardy due to multiple failed drug tests. A prototypical No. 1 receiver at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds with track star speed, Gordon caught 14 touchdowns over his first 27 NFL starts. If he is reinstated into the league, Gordon's career could get a kick-start given the possible reunion with former Baylor buddy Robert Griffin III and the aggressive Hue Jackson calling the plays now in Cleveland.

5. Mike Wahle, OG, Navy

• Drafted by the Green Bay Packers, 2nd round, 1998

Given the anonymous nature of playing the offensive line, some casual football fans may not realize that Wahle's name is actually pronounced Wall-ee, rather than "wall." It is unfortunate because Wahle provided a wall for his teammates over 11 seasons in Green Bay, Carolina and Seattle. Wahle started 138 of a possible 152 games over that time, including all 16 games in his first season with the Panthers, when he was named an All-Pro.

4. Rob Moore, WR, Syracuse

• Drafted by the New York Jets, 1st round, 1990

Moore knows a little something about playing receiver in the NFL, and not just because he hauled in 628 passes for 9,368 yards and 49 scores over an 11-year career. He stayed close to the game following his playing career and is now the wide receivers coach in Oakland. Moore broke the 1,000-yard receiving mark in three separate seasons, including a monster 1997 season in Arizona in which he set career-highs in catches (97), receiving yards (1,584) and touchdown catches (eight).

3. Jamal Williams, NG, Oklahoma State

• Drafted by the San Diego Chargers, 2nd round, 1998

A behemoth in the middle at an estimated 6-foot-3 and 350 pounds, Williams emerged as one of the NFL's best nose guards over his 12 years in the league, all but the last of which were spent with the Chargers. Despite his role being to "eat" blockers, Williams recorded an impressive 357 career tackles, including 69 stops in 2006, the last of three consecutive All-Pro seasons. Williams was named San Diego's Defensive Player of the Year three times and even earned co-MVP accolades along with quarterback Philip Rivers in 2008.

2. Bernie Kosar, QB, Miami

The supplemental draft produced no QB better than Bernie Kosar. USATSI

• Drafted by the Cleveland Browns, 1st round, 1985

Unquestionably the top quarterback in supplemental draft history, Kosar completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 23,301 yards and 124 touchdowns (against 87 interceptions) over 12 NFL seasons. He is best remembered for his time in Cleveland, where he set an NFL record (since broken by Tom Brady) for the most consecutive passes thrown without an interception (308). Kosar struggled with durability and even when healthy was largely a sitting duck due to a lack of mobility. However, he was a gutty, accurate and clutch quarterback who, if not for a couple of drives from John Elway, might be more often nationally recognized as one of the best quarterbacks of his era.

1. Cris Carter, WR, Ohio State

• Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, 4th round, 1987

As the only Hall of Famer selected in the supplemental draft, Carter is the easy choice for top honors. His gaudy numbers (1,101 catches for 13,899 yards and 130 touchdowns) are all the more impressive given that he missed considerable time over his career with injuries and off-field issues and had a relatively consistent revolving door at quarterback, playing with nine passers during his time in Minnesota alone. His best season came in 1995 with Warren Moon throwing the passes. Carter caught 122 passes (tying the career high he'd set the year before) for 1,371 yards and a league-high 17 touchdowns catches.

Just missed the cut

• Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State (Oakland, 2011)
• Bobby Humphrey, RB, Alabama (Denver, 1989)
• Tito Wooten, S, Louisiana-Monroe (New York Giants, 1994)
• Brian Bosworth, ILB, Oklahoma (Seattle, 1987)
• Steve Walsh, QB, Miami (Dallas, 1987)
• Timm Rosenbach, QB, Washington State (Phoenix, 1987)

 

[woofwoofmo]

Only 4 on the Top 10/Just missed from this century. Nobody out there this year looks worthy of expending a precious pick from next year. Pass.

 

[Merlin]

Never liked Carter but gotta admit the dude suffered with who he had throwing to him. Gotta give cred to the guy on that, he earned that jacket.

 

[Selassie I]

The Bos... "Just Missed", again.

LOL