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The pool of players eligible for the 2023 NFL Supplemental Draft doubled on Wednesday.
Jackson State wide receiver Malachi Wideman received notice that he is now eligible, joining Purdue wide receiver Milton Wright for the special draft, which will be held on July 11.
Two players were granted eligibility for next week's NFL Supplemental Draft: Jackson State WR Malachi Wideman and Purdue WR Milton Wright.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 5, 2023
Those are the only two players who can be selected in the supplemental draft -- the first since 2019 -- which will take place Tuesday.
This is the first time the supplemental draft will be held since 2019, a year that saw the Arizona Cardinals select safety Jalen Thompson with a fifth-round selection.
Wideman originally committed to play at Tennessee in 2020, but only saw action in one game as a freshman for the Volunteers, catching one pass for 24 yards. He then transferred to Jackson State and finished his first season there with 34 receptions for 540 yards and a conference-leading 12 touchdown receptions. This past season he played in just six games, finishing with three receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown.
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Wright played 27 total games at Purdue before being ruled academically ineligible last season. In 2021, he had 57 receptions for 732 yards and seven touchdowns, and finished his collegiate career with 99 receptions, 1,325 yards and 10 touchdown catches.
The supplemental draft is set up to accommodate players who, for one reason or another, were not eligible for the annual NFL Draft. Teams are divided into three groups based on the previous season, with the first group comprised of non-playoff teams that had six or few victories. The second group, which this year includes the Cleveland Browns, is for non-playoff teams with more than six wins. The final group is made up of the playoff teams from last season.
Teams may submit picks for eligible players with the round that they would like to select the player. The team highest in the draft order with the best bid is awarded the player and then that team forfeits a pick in the same round in next year’s draft.
With all the work that general manager Andrew Berry put in toward the wide receiver position this past offseason, it seems unlikely that he will have any interest in either Wideman or Wright.
The Browns last used a pick in the supplemental draft in 2012, when they selected wide receiver Josh Gordon, who had one monster year in 2013 and then flamed out of the league.
Cleveland also participated in 1985 when they selected quarterback Bernie Kosar, who went on to lead the team to three AFC Championship Game appearances in his nine seasons with the Browns.
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