The NFL holds a draft every year in which over 250 players are selected. Hundreds more are then signed as undrafted free agents. But the NFL Supplemental Draft has long been another avenue for players to get into the league.
The Supplemental Draft was created in 1977 in order for players who, for a variety of reasons, weren’t eligible to enter the draft pool. Teams could then have the chance to pick them up while sacrificing a future draft pick to do so.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic reported that the league has chosen not to hold a Supplemental Draft this summer. No player has been selected in a Supplemental Draft since 2019, when the Arizona Cardinals landed Washington State safety Jalen Thompson.
He has proven to be an integral player for the Cardinals and several great NFL players have come to the league via this pipeline, including Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Cris Carter, Bernie Kosar and Josh Gordon. Only 46 players have ever been selected in a Supplemental Draft but until recently, it was very common for at least one player to come to the NFL per year.
The Denver Broncos have selected only one player in a Supplemental Draft in their history, but it was a memorable one.
In 1989, the Broncos gave up a future first-round pick in order to select Alabama running back Bobby Humphrey. It was a calculated risk, but one that paid off, at least initially.
Humphrey was fantastic for the Broncos to begin his career. As a rookie, he rushed for 1,151 yards and seven touchdowns, helping the Broncos reach Super Bowl XXIV, where they were unfortunately blown out by the San Francisco 49ers.
The following season, in 1990, Humphrey was even better, rushing for 1,202 yards and seven more touchdowns to earn himself a trip to the Pro Bowl. But things soon went downhill.
Ahead of the 1991 season, Humphrey felt he deserved a new contract and decided to hold out in hopes of getting one. The front office did not budge and Humphrey finally returned to the field in Week 14, but never again looked like the player fans had started to fall in love with.
The Broncos chose to trade offensive tackle Gerald Perry to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for running back Gaston Green, and Green took over the starting role. When Humphrey came back, he took a back seat to Green and never regained the starting job.
The following offseason, the Broncos traded Humphrey to the Miami Dolphins in a swap of running backs, getting Sammie Smith in return. Humphrey played two seasons in Miami before attempting a comeback with the Buffalo Bills two years later, but he didn’t make the team.
Just like that, Humphrey’s NFL career was over. How good would Humphrey have become for the Broncos if he had never held out for more money?
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