Supplemental Draft Set For Thursday

The National Football League will hold its supplemental draft on July 12. Here’s a look at the eight players who will be available.

DB Quaylon Ewing-Burton: He played in all 13 games as a sophomore for Boise State last season, including four starts. He didn’t see much action late in the year after losing his starting job. He was dismissed from the team in January for failure to “live up to the standards of the program.” It wasn’t his first brush with trouble. He was suspended from his high school team for not abiding by the rules. Ewing-Burton has some ability, but probably not enough to convince a GM to draft him.

WR Josh Gordon: Like Ewing-Burton, he comes with baggage. He was suspended at Baylor after a drug arrest, and then enrolled at Utah where he was unable to play last season due to NCAA transfer rules. Unlike Ewing-Burton, he has the talent to get drafted. He has great size (6’3, 225) and is expected to run under 4.5 at his workout early next week. He caught 42 passes for 714 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2010. Some experts predict that Gordon could go as high as the second round, but that’s probably too much of a risk. The third or fourth round is more likely.

FB Adam Harris: No off-the-field issues here, but he’s still the biggest risk in the draft. He suffered three concussions and Syracuse decided “as a result of the injuries, a review of his concussion history and his increased vulnerability for further concussions, he will not be allowed to participate in football.” He said in May that he’s been given the OK play again from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and a neurologist who works for the Steelers. Harris probably wouldn’t have been drafted even with a clean bill of health. The big question now is whether any NFL team will even be willing to give him a chance as a free agent.

OL Adrian Haughton: Another player with baggage, but he has enough size (6’4, 360) to intrigue teams. He started 21 games at right tackle for Iowa State in 2008 and 2009, but was dismissed from the program in the summer of 2010 for violating team rules. No details were disclosed. He spent the past few months playing for the Orlando Predators in the Arena Football League. He’s projected as a guard by most pro scouts. Haughton could get selected very late, but it’s more likely that he’ll be signed as a free agent. He should have a number of suitors.

LB Larry Lumpkin: He’s an intriguing player who ran into academic trouble at both Alabama A&M and Carson-Newman. That will certainly give NFL teams pause. Some scouts have compared him to D.J. Smith of the Packers, another undersized but very productive linebacker from a small school. He recorded 94 tackles – 10.5 for loss – last season. Lumpkin could get drafted late if he runs a good 40 at his scheduled workout next week, but it’s more likely that he’ll sign as a free agent. A perfect player to stash on the practice squad for a year or two.

LB Montez Robinson: He was a highly sought after high school prospect who chose Georgia over LSU, Alabama and Auburn. He hasn’t played football since the ’09 season. He was dismissed from the team in April 2010 after being charged with simple battery/family violence. He allegedly “grabbed and pushed a woman off of his bed and then picked her up and slammed her to the ground.”He played defensive end as a freshman, but was moved to linebacker as a sophomore. That’s where he’s projected to line up in the NFL. Robinson has talent, but he’s hit more women than quarterbacks in the past two years. There’s no chance he’ll get drafted.

WR Houston Tuminello: He started as a freshman at Louisiana Tech, but left in the middle of his sophomore season due to personal reasons. Things went downhill from there. He failed to distinguish himself in subsequent stops at Stephen F. Austin and tiny McMurray College. He lacks ideal size (5’11, 190) and speed (4.66). Tuminello won’t get drafted. He’ll probably spend the upcoming season in Canada or the UFL and then try to hook on with an NFL team next spring.

RB Ed Wesley: He gained 2,457 yards in three seasons at TCU, but decided to leave the team for family reasons. He’s a good football player who lacks ideal measurables. His size (5’9, 200) and speed (4.6 est.) won’t wow anybody, but he runs with good lateral quickness and surprising power. While he probably won’t start at the next level, he has a chance to be a solid backup in the right situation. Wesley might’ve gone as high as the fifth round in April, but that was then and this is now. Being picked very late or signing as a free agent are the most likely scenarios.

The Packers haven’t selected a player in the supplemental draft since offensive lineman Mike Wahle in 1998. That streak is almost certain to continue for another year. General manager Ted Thompson hates giving up future picks, and this is one of the weakest collection of prospects in recent memory. The only player with big-time talent carries more baggage than a Boeing 747.