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Having successfully filed their paperwork for inclusion in the 2019 Supplemental Draft, NFL teams will have at least two players to evaluate in the comings weeks in West Virginia wide receiver Marcus Simms and Syracuse linebacker Shyheim Cullen.
I received official confirmation- NFL teams have been notified Marcus Simms/WR/West Virginia has filed paperwork to enter the supplemental draft. Expect Simms to workout for teams in early July.
— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) June 20, 2019
Excited to be excepted into the 2019 nfl supplemental draft... July 10th.
— Shy (@shycullen24) June 21, 2019
Open to players who did not declare for the main draft in April, but who are still three years removed from high school, supplemental draft applicants are traditionally underclassmen who have been ruled ineligible for the upcoming college season, often due to academic or disciplinary reasons.
And while Pittsburgh has yet to select a player in any of the previous 41 supplemental drafts held, the Steelers gave Terrelle Pryor some serious consideration in 2011. Should Pittsburgh have any interested in one of the names available this year, they simply need to enter a bid for the player they want and hope they are the first team in that round to choose the prospect. However, any pick they make would require them to give up the corresponding selection in the 2020 NFL draft.
Dating back to the first supplemental draft in 1977, only 45 players have ever been selected, with cornerbacks Sam Beal and Adonis Alexander the latest names to be taken in 2018. But given the Steelers additions this year, it seems unlikely they will be too interested in Simms or Cullen unless they are available as undrafted free agents.
In three season with the Mountaineers, Simms recorded 87 catches for 1,457 yards and scored eight touchdowns, as well as recording 992 yards from 41 kick returns for an average of 24.2 yards and 23 punt returns for 157 yards and an average of 6.8 yards.
Standing 6-foot tall and weighing in at 224-pounds, Cullen’s chances of being drafted look even less promising than Simms after four years in Syracuse and only one season of any notable play on defense with just four starts. Primarily limited to special teams throughout most of his college career, Cullen recorded a total of 43 tackles, three for a loss and one sack while with the Orangemen. A level of production that is unlikely to attract the attention of too many NFL teams.
The 2019 NFL Supplemental Draft will take place on July 10.