Ranking the five best players ever selected in the NFL Supplemental Draft is somewhat subjective, but based on NFL accomplishments, longevity, Pro Bowls, All-Pro selections, and overall impact, this would be my top five:
1. Cris Carter, WR (1987)
- Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 4th round.
- Only Supplemental Draft pick to reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- 8-time Pro Bowler.
- 2-time First-Team All-Pro.
- Finished with 1,101 receptions, 13,899 yards, and 130 touchdowns.
There really isn’t much debate about No. 1.
2. Bernie Kosar, QB (1985)
- Drafted by the Cleveland Browns in one of the most famous draft maneuvers in NFL history.
- Led Cleveland to three AFC Championship Games.
- Pro Bowl quarterback and one of the Browns’ most beloved players.
His career wasn’t Hall of Fame caliber, but he was a franchise quarterback for much of the 1980s.
3. Jamal Williams, DT (1998)
- Selected by the San Diego Chargers in the 2nd round.
- 3-time First-Team All-Pro.
- Dominant nose tackle and centerpiece of several elite Chargers defenses.
Williams is arguably the best defensive player ever taken in the Supplemental Draft.
4. Josh Gordon, WR (2012)
- Drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the 2nd round.
- Led the NFL in receiving yards in 2013 despite playing only 14 games.
- First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler.
Off-field issues prevented an even greater career, but his peak was spectacular.
5. Ahmad Brooks, LB (2006)
- Drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 3rd round.
- Later became a cornerstone of the San Francisco 49ers defense.
- Pro Bowler with 55 career sacks and two All-Pro Second-Team selections.
A long, productive career as one of the NFL’s better edge defenders of the early 2010s.
Honorable Mentions
- Rob Moore (2-time Pro Bowl WR)
- Bobby Humphrey (2-time Pro Bowl RB)
- Mike Wahle (Pro Bowl guard)
- Terrelle Pryor (successful position switch)
- Jalen Thompson (recent standout selection)
Here is a list of every player ever selected in the Supplemental Draft:
Year
Player
Position
Round
Team
College
1977
Al Hunter
RB
4th
Seahawks
Notre Dame
1978
Johnnie Dirden
WR
10th
Oilers
Sam Houston State
1978
Rod Connors
RB
12th
49ers
USC
1979
Rod Stewart
RB
6th
Bills
Kentucky
1980
Matthew Teague
DE
7th
Falcons
Prairie View A&M
1980
Billy Mullins
WR
9th
Chargers
USC
1981
Dave Wilson
QB
1st
Saints
Illinois
1981
Chy Davidson
WR
11th
Patriots
Rhode Island
1982
Kevin Robinson
CB
9th
Lions
North Carolina A&T
1985
Bernie Kosar
QB
1st
Browns
Miami (FL)
1985
Roosevelt Snipes
RB
8th
49ers
Florida State
1986
Charles Crawford
RB
7th
Eagles
Oklahoma State
1987
Brian Bosworth
LB
1st
Seahawks
Oklahoma
1987
Dan Sileo
DT
3rd
Buccaneers
Miami (FL)
1987
Cris Carter
WR
4th
Eagles
Ohio State
1988
Ryan Bethea
WR
5th
Vikings
South Carolina
1989
Steve Walsh
QB
1st
Cowboys
Miami (FL)
1989
Timm Rosenbach
QB
1st
Cardinals
Washington State
1989
Bobby Humphrey
RB
1st
Broncos
Alabama
1989
Brett Young
DB
8th
Bills
Oregon
1989
Mike Lowman
RB
12th
Cowboys
Coffeyville Community College
1990
Rob Moore
WR
1st
Jets
Syracuse
1990
Willie Williams
TE
9th
Cardinals
LSU
1992
Dave Brown
QB
1st
Giants
Duke
1992
Darren Mickell
DE
2nd
Chiefs
Florida
1994
Tito Wooten
CB
4th
Giants
Northeast Louisiana
1994
John Davis
TE
5th
Cowboys
Emporia State
1995
Darren Benson
DT
3rd
Cowboys
Trinity Valley Community College
1998
Mike Wahle
OT
2nd
Packers
Navy
1998
Jamal Williams
NT
2nd
Chargers
Oklahoma State
1999
J’Juan Cherry
CB
4th
Patriots
Arizona State
2002
Milford Brown
G
6th
Texans
Florida State
2003
Tony Hollings
RB
2nd
Texans
Georgia Tech
2005
Manuel Wright
DT
5th
Dolphins
USC
2006
Ahmad Brooks
LB
3rd
Bengals
Virginia
2007
Paul Oliver
S
4th
Chargers
Georgia
2007
Jared Gaither
OT
5th
Ravens
Maryland
2009
Jeremy Jarmon
DE
3rd
Redskins
Kentucky
2010
Harvey Unga
FB
7th
Bears
BYU
2010
Josh Brent
NT
7th
Cowboys
Illinois
2011
Terrelle Pryor
QB
3rd
Raiders
Ohio State
2012
Josh Gordon
WR
2nd
Browns
Baylor
2015
Isaiah Battle
OT
5th
Rams
Clemson
2018
Sam Beal
CB
3rd
Giants
Western Michigan
2018
Adonis Alexander
CB
6th
Redskins
Virginia Tech
2019
Jalen Thompson
S
5th
Cardinals
Washington State
NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com
