NFL Drops Shocking Reveal on 2025 Supplemental Draft—What It Means for the Future of the Game

Ever wonder why the NFL Supplemental Draft has been as quiet as a librarian’s Sunday afternoon lately? Believe it or not, the league itself has put the kibosh on holding a Supplemental Draft in 2025 — marking six years straight without a single pick. That’s quite the drought for a system that once brought some big names into the spotlight, from Hall of Famer Cris Carter to the enigmatic Josh Gordon. You might ask, is this draft ghost town signaling the Supplemental Draft’s slow fade into obscurity, or just a strategic pause? Considering only eight players were snagged throughout the 2010s, mostly in the later rounds, perhaps it’s not the loss of the century. Still, the idea of teams secretly bidding away future picks to scoop up underrated talent always added a dash of intrigue to the NFL offseason. Curious about the full story behind this quiet decision and those rarely seen draft gems? LEARN MORE.

The NFL Supplemental Draft has seen a number of all-time great players or just solid starters pass through it over the years. But will there be a Supplemental Draft in 2025?

Apparently not.

According to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, the NFL has informed teams that there will not be a Supplemental Draft this year. This will be the sixth year in a row that no NFL player goes in the Supplemental Draft.

“Sources: The NFL has informed teams there won’t be a Supplemental Draft this summer. The last player selected in the Supplemental Draft was in 2019,” Brugler wrote.

Sources: The NFL has informed teams there won't be a Supplemental Draft this summer.

The last player selected in the Supplemental Draft was in 2019.

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) June 27, 2025

It’s not likely to be missed all that much as there hasn’t even been a Supplemental Draft Selection in over five years. The last player to be taken in a Supplemental Draft was Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson back in 2019.

In fact, only eight players were taken in the Supplemental Draft throughout the entirety of the 2010s. Most were selected in the fifth round or later.

For those who don’t know, the Supplemental Draft is an extra draft for former college players who were ineligible for the NFL Draft at the time but later saw their draft status change in the weeks that followed it. 

Some of the most noteworthy names to be taken in the Supplemental Draft include Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter, Pro Bowl quarterback Bernie Kosar, ex-NFL receiving leader Josh Gordon and college football legend Brian “The Boz” Bosworth.

Teams make their selections by secretly bidding on them with draft picks for the next year’s draft. So a team that used a 2nd round pick in the 2025 Supplemental Draft would have had to give up their 2nd round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Related: Report: NFL Has Made Decision On 2024 Supplemental Draft