Beal & Alexander: Who are the 2 CBs set to be taken in supplemental draft?
The supplemental draft - designed to account for NFL-eligible players who didn't declare for the spring draft - is usually met with a chorus of "who cares?!" by football fans desperate for training camp to get underway.
This year's edition is different.
The 2018 Supplemental Draft boasts two talented prospects in cornerbacks Sam Beal of Western Michigan and Adonis Alexander of Virginia Tech who could entice teams to give up high draft picks for the first time since the Cleveland Browns used a second-rounder on Josh Gordon in 2012.
The event is set to take place at 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, but before we get into why Beal and Alexander are turning heads, here's a brief reminder of how the draft works:
- Teams that use a draft pick on a player lose a corresponding pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. For example, if Beal is taken with a third-rounder, his new team forfeits a pick in that round next season.
- All 32 teams are placed into three groups: teams with six or fewer wins, non-playoff teams with at least seven wins, and the 12 playoff teams. A lottery then determines the draft order within each group.
- Each round lasts 10 minutes. Teams have that time to respond if they want to draft a player in that round, and then the league awards the player to the team with the highest priority.
Why didn't he declare for the spring draft?
Unlike the majority of supplemental draft prospects, Beal wasn't forced to declare for this event due to off-field issues. He decided to forgo the 2018 NFL Draft in order to finish his degree following an impressive junior season, but then left Western Michigan when he was ruled academically ineligible.
How good is he?
The roughly 6-foot-1 Beal started two years for Western Michigan and possesses the kind of size and length teams covet in an outside corner. He recorded a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, a 37-inch vertical, and a 10'6" broad jump during his pro day, so there should be little doubt about his ability to stay with NFL wide receivers from an athletic standpoint.
At 190 pounds, however, he does need to add bulk if he's to consistently hold up in press-man coverage. Beal also lacks physicality, which could be fixed by building up his strength, but it's disappointing for a player of his size.
On the play below, he's lined up at the bottom of the frame in an aggressive coverage position. As his receiver releases to the outside, Beal opens up his hips with fluidity and ease and then shows off his speed by running stride for stride.
#DraftmasInJuly Sam Beal needs to put a little weight on and develop consistency with his technique, but the length, fluid hips and feet make him an intriguing corner prospect. pic.twitter.com/iOjqD2Lh3N
- Kent Swanson (@kent_swanson) July 7, 2018
What's even more impressive, though, is that Beal isn't just content to be in a strong coverage position. The 21-year-old defensive back is a ballhawk - he had eight pass breakups last year - and he's already adept at recognizing when his receiver is beginning to look back for the ball and mirroring their movements.
Here, Beal gets his body in between the receiver and the ball in order to make the catch more difficult and is able to get his arms up to disrupt the pass from one of college football's best quarterbacks in Sam Darnold, who was drafted No. 3 overall by the New York Jets.
How high could he be drafted and what teams could be interested?
Beal was considered a first-round talent if he played his senior season and entered next year's draft. Of course, it's highly unlikely any team will select him that high in the supplemental draft, but going in the third is more than realistic for a player who plays a premium position and has already shown he can be a difference-maker. If he's drafted in the fourth or fifth round, it could be a steal for whichever franchise nabs him.
Cornerback-needy teams looking for bigger corner prospects with ball skills, like the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts, should be in play. Indy, in particular, could be a strong contender due to it having an additional second-rounder in 2019 - making it easier to part with a third- or fourth-rounder - and boasting few starting-caliber players at the position.
CB Adonis Alexander, Virginia Tech
Why didn't he declare for the spring draft?
Like Beal, Alexander was ruled academically ineligible for his senior year. He admitted he lacked motivation for classes after shining as a junior. Unlike Beal, however, Alexander does have off-field red flags to confront.
He was arrested for marijuana possession in April 2016 and suspended for the first two games of the 2017 campaign for violating team rules.
"I can honestly say the past year, maturity has been my biggest thing," Alexander told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. "I have been improving on discipline. Discipline is a big thing for me now, because nothing can really be done without discipline. And I understand that now."
How good is he?
"Adonis" is an apt - not to mention awesome - name for the physical and aggressive 6-foot-3 corner. Alexander's length and size often confound receivers, and he can even work from the slot thanks to his footwork and agility.
He does have questions to answer about his upper-body strength after only managing nine reps of 225 pounds during his workout, but that doesn't show up on tape too often. He does lack top-tier straight-line speed, though, and could struggle to close separation on deep routes against out-and-out speed demons.
However, as evidenced by the play below, his length affords him more room for error than your average corner, as he's able to attack balls from the trail position and force turnovers (he had seven career interceptions).
6'2-6'3 length can go a long way from the trail position. Adonis Alexander is hard to drop in the bucket over. pic.twitter.com/xHmpxT9LFW
- Kyle Crabbs (@GrindingTheTape) June 4, 2018
Alexander will need his aggressive streak channeled and focused in order to avoid being a penalty machine in the NFL, but teams should be excited about how much room he has to grow, and him potentially going blow for blow with the league's biggest receivers.
How high could he be drafted and what teams could be interested?
Beal is all but certain to go ahead of Alexander, and if he falls past the third round, it could have a knock-on effect for his fellow cornerback. However, Alexander is arguably just as talented and could go as high as the fourth if teams jump on Beal early, though the fifth is probably more realistic.
Again, the Chiefs and Colts could be contenders. Additionally, the likes of the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, and New York Jets might all be tempted to jump on Alexander in order to fix their lack of secondary talent.
Others players who could be draftedS Brandon Bryant, Mississippi State - An upper-tier athlete who lacks size for the position and has a January 2017 drunken-driving arrest to overcome. However, his toughness, ability to contribute on special teams, and eye for the football may be enough to convince a team to use a late-round pick on him.
RB Martayveus Carter, Grand Valley State - Had almost 2,000 yards rushing and 20 scores in 2016, but was limited by injuries the following year and has questions about his athleticism that he failed to answer by not holding a pro day.
LB Bright Ugwoegbu, Oregon State - A three-year starter who's proven in coverage and as a pass-rusher, but will likely be doomed by his poor testing numbers and age (23).
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