For Some NFL Teams, Josh Gordon’s Talent is Worth the Risk

Virtually unknown to casual NFL fans a week ago, Baylor’s Josh Gordon has found himself in all of the headlines by being the star prize of the supplemental draft to take place tomorrow.

Gordon, a raw prospect that hasn’t played organized ball since 2010, is said to likely be the only player selected in the supplemental draft and there are plenty of teams rumored to be in the mix. The Browns seem to be the most interested as they have had him in for a workout and have been rumored to flirting with placing a 2nd rounder in play for his rights.

How the supplemental draft works, for those who are unaware, I will consult About.com’s explanation of the process. The league allows underclassmen who did not petition the league for early entry before the NFL Draft deadline a vehicle for entering the NFL. Then, it’s a three-step process to determine the order of the supplemental draft.

Step 1: Teams with six wins or less participate in the first lottery for the top supplemental draft picks. The team that posted the worst record among that group is given a weighted advantage over the following team, with each team’s “weight” being decreased on down the line until reaching the team with the best record in the group.

Step 2: The second group consists of non-playoff teams and follows the same weighted system.

Step 3: The third group consists of last season’s 12 playoff teams and, again, follows the same lottery system.

Now that the order has been established, each team submits to the league the name of the player they are interested in, as well as the round of the supplemental draft they would like to choose them in. The team that submits the highest bid is awarded rights to the player. If more than one team bids a pick from the same round, the team with the highest pick in the round wins out.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I’ll add that some of the highest profile picks in a supplemental draft over the years. Bernie Kosar, Brian Bosworth, Dave Wilson, Cris Carter and Bobby Humphrey. So it isn’t always just a “throw away” pick.

For Josh Gordon, it’s a chance at leaving his past behind him. In 2010, Gordon and a teammate were arrested after they fell asleep in a drive-through line at a fast food restaurant and police found marijuana in the car. He was allowed to finish the season at Baylor, but was suspended by the school for the entirety of 2011.

He caught 42 passes for 714 yards and seven touchdowns in 2010 and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds. He’s going to get a look by someone, for sure. But the usual 4th to 6th round tender isn’t going to get it done.

Look, I’m not a marijuana guy, but he was a kid who made a mistake. It isn’t like he killed someone and teams recognize that, which is why it’s a low risk, high reward type of move. For a kid with his ability, I’d be shocked to see him go later than a 3rd round pick.

The teams with rumored interest are the aforementioned Browns, Redskins, Cowboys, Eagles, Colts, Dolphins, Panthers, Saints, Chiefs and 49ers. So you aren’t going to be getting him on the cheap.