Supplemental Memory

By Adam Kiefaber

In last year’s supplemental draft the Cincinnati Bengals picked University of Virginia standout linebacker Ahmad Brooks. Thus making Brooks the only player to be selected in the supplemental draft in the last two years.

This year’s supplemental draft starts at 1pm today and I expect at least two more to be selected.

According to the rules of the supplemental draft, if a team selects a player in a particular round then that team will lose that pick in the next NFL Draft.

That is why the Bengals didn’t have a third-round pick this season, but some argue that Brooks would’ve been the first linebacker chosen in the ’07 NFL Draft. So, did the Bengals get a great deal?

The jury is still out on Ahmad Brooks’ professional career. Brooks came to the Bengals eager to learn and was benched later in the season due his poor effort to become better. In ’06, Brooks played in 11 games and started (at MLB) four games. He ended the season with 46 tackles and one sack. His best games came on the road against Tampa Bay (14 tackles) and at home against Carolina (8 tackles and a sack).

Brooks was a huge recruit when he came to play at Virginia. Coming out of high school, he was named USA Today’s National Defensive Player of the Year.

Brooks would’ve been a sure first-round pick in 2004 if he had left as a third-year sophomore. That year, Brooks was named second-team All-American and as a semifinalist for the Butkus Award (best linebacker). NFL Scouts were memorized by his size (listed currently at 6-foot-3 259 lbs.) and his speed.

However, he stayed for another season at Virginia where spent most of it out with injuries. The injuries pretty much killed his first-round status and Brooks decided to return for his senior season.

His senior season never happened because he was kicked off the team for failing a drug test. Even after the injuries, Brooks held a workout prior to the supplemental draft and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds. Bengals linebacker coach Ricky Hunley conducted the workout and must of left impressed with Brooks’ performance.

That brings us to a full circle for today’s supplemental draft. Here’s how it works:

Rules taken from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Draft order: Before ping-pong balls are drawn by the NFL this morning to set the order, a lottery will be weighted into three categories: teams that had six or fewer wins last season each get the same number of balls, as do non-playoff teams that had more than six wins and playoff teams. “It’s like the NBA draft where higher-weighted teams get more balls,” said San Francisco 49ers vice president of player personnel Scot McCloughan.
How it works: The draft begins at 1 p.m. It is not on TV or on the Internet. Teams call or e-mail choices into the NFL office this morning, or can call during the approximately one-hour process to say, “If player A is unchosen by any other team by our pick in round B, we select him.” If a team lands a player, that team forfeits a pick in the same round of the 2008 April draft. A team must have that ‘08 pick available to use it today.

Back to Bengalstripes Coverage
The Top Prospects: Georgia CB Paul Oliver, Maryland OT Jared Gaither, Nebraska OL Chris Patrick, Florida State DL Clifton Dixon
Oliver- Someone is expected to take this CB with a fourth-round pick today. Oliver held Sidney Rice (second-round pick by MIN- 44th overall) to three catches and Calvin Johnson (first-round pick by DET- 2nd overall) to two catches for 13 yards. Oliver has had physicals and interviews with the San Diego Chargers, Atlanta Falcons and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Gaither- A team will have to take Gaither in the supplemental draft. Gaither is rated as the #1 best overall offensive tackle in Phil Steele’s college football preview magazine. Gaither is huge being listed at 6-foot-9 350lbs (in his last workout he measured out to 6-feet-8-3/4 and 324 lbs.). The Baltimore Ravens is one team Gaither has visited.

Patrick- Questionable if he will be selected, but will likely sign a free-agent contract. Has 14 career starts at Nebraska. Only one player (Ahmad Brooks) has been selected in the supplemental draft in the last two years.

Dixon- Rumor has it the Green Bay Packers are interested in using a late-round pick on Dixon.

WHAT WILL THE BENGALS DO?

Who knows?

No one ever knows what the Bengals will do. No one expected them to select Ahmad Brooks in last year’s supplemental draft. Even though it made sense, Thurman was going to miss the first four games.

So, I can see the Bengals taking a long look at Oliver, Gaither and Dixon. Oliver makes sense because it is hard to believe Deltha O’Neal and Keiwan Ratliff will be Bengals next season. Like Brooks, Oliver was big recruit out of high school and has unlimited potential.

The fans should get excited if the Bengals could get the mammoth Gaither. He has the ability to become a franchise OT. He would need time to develop and Willie Anderson turned 32 on Wednesday. Or maybe you can make him a guard. I know the Bengals line is already set, but it’s never a bad thing to have more. Plus, Stacy Andrews is as good as gone next season.

The Bengals are always interested in defensive tackles so giving up a sixth or seventh rounder for Clifton Dixon could be a good deal if that is a player that they like.

The Bengals will unlikely pick anyone in this year’s supplemental draft. However, they could consider selecting Paul Oliver with a fourth-round pick. Don’t expect Oliver to help Cincinnati right away, but he could became a great player and contribute in ’08. Furthermore, the Bengals figure to have a bunch of draft picks in the ’08 NFL Draft, including a compensatory third-round pick for losing Eric Steinbach. So losing a fourth rounder on a first/second-round talent in Oliver wouldn’t be a bad move.

-As I was writing this, Gaither was selected in the fifth round of the supplemental draft by the Baltimore Ravens- Ravens Pick Gaither

-Minutes after I posted the article, Oliver was selected in the fourth round of the supplemental draft by San Diego Chargers- Chargers Pick Oliver