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Former Virginia Tech CB Adonis Alexander, Mississippi State S Brandon Bryant, and Western Michigan CB Sam Beal intend to apply and enter the 2018 supplemental draft.
Alexander (6-3, 207) is a 21-year-old cornerback with raw talent. Although Alexander has a lot of potential, he is also academically ineligible to play at Virginia Tech and he has off-field issues NFL teams will need to look into. This includes immaturity and being charged for marijuana possession in 2016. Despite his troubles, he has the everything that teams would want in a young cornerback. Walter Football ranked him as the 10th best cornerback of 2019. He finished his collegiate football career with 125 tackles, seven interceptions, and 17 pass defensed.
Former Virginia Tech CB Adonis Alexander is expected to enter the NFL supplemental draft, sources say. Lot of off-field issues for teams to sort through, but he’s 6-3, talented, raw but high upside … should get picked.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 1, 2018
Beal (6-1, 185) would have been the face of Western Michigan Broncos’ defense and one of the top cornerbacks of the 2019 draft had he been academically eligible to play. But now, he has a legitimate chance at being the second player to ever be chosen in the second round of an NFL supplemental draft. Beal is a physical press coverage corner with size and speed. He has the length that defensive coordinators want in their cornerback but he will need to add more weight and muscle to his frame to handle the physicality at the NFL level. Walter Football had him ranked as the second-best cornerback of the potential 2019 class. He is coming off a season where he had a team-high of 10 pass breakups and two interceptions, resulting to a second-team All-MAC selection.
PFF gave Sam Beal (6’1/190) an 86.1 grade last year, identical to that of Colorado's Isaiah Oliver (drafted in Round 2 by the Falcons).
— Thor Nystrom (@thorku) June 6, 2018
One of his INTS last year was off Sam Darnold. Beal cut his teeth by squaring off against Corey Davis in practice his first 2 years on campus.
Bryant (5-11, 215) ran a 4.24 second 40 yard dash when he was a freshman at Mississippi State. He would have been the fastest defensive back in the 2018 NFL Combine. He finished his three-year collegiate career with 157 tackles, five interceptions, seven pass defensed, and a touchdown. His freakish athleticism and production will certainly get the attention of many teams. He is expected to go undrafted, just as many supplemental draft prospects before him.
Word is former #MissState safety Brandon Bryant is expected to apply for the NFL Supplemental Draft. Freaky athlete who MSU coaches once clocked at 4.24 in the 40. Had some struggles academically and withdrew from school in the spring.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) June 6, 2018
All three defensive backs would have been some of the top players at their positions in next year’s draft. The one red flag that all three prospects have in common is their academic ineligibility. Beyond that, these players have the size, athleticism, and production that coaches covet.
The Arizona Cardinals are still in need of cornerback opposite Patrick Peterson for the long-term future, despite the team acquiring Jamar Taylor from the Cleveland Browns via trade. Taylor, Brandon Williams, and Bene Benwikere still have a lot to prove during OTAs and training camp. The Cardinals are certainly impressed with sixth round pick Chris Campbell Jonathan Moxey, Deatrick Nichols, Tavierre Thomas, and Lou Young III are the other cornerbacks on the team.
If all three prospects end up going undrafted, don’t expect these players to be available for long.