Any chance the Vikings add someone from the 2018 Supplemental Draft?

There are few talented prospects available in this year’s NFL Supplemental Draft that could interest the Minnesota Vikings.

As of right now, the current roster of the Minnesota Vikings is stocked full of talented defensive backs. Despite this, the Vikings could still potentially add another when the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft takes place in a couple of weeks on Wednesday, July 11.

For those who are unaware of the rules for this event, the Supplemental Draft generally consists of players who are no longer eligible to play at the college level for whatever reason and did not file the necessary paperwork in time to meet the eligibility requirements for the normal NFL Draft.

The order of the Supplemental Draft is basically decided by having the teams with the worst records during the previous season have the first opportunity to bid on a player (yes, bid). To acquire a prospect, a team must put one of their selections from the next NFL Draft up for bid.

So if a team wants to bid a 2019 third-round selection on any player in this year’s Supplemental Draft and they end up getting the prospect, then that team would be without a third-round draft pick next year.

For the 2018 Supplemental Draft, there are four prospects up for bid. They are former Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander, former Mississippi State safety Brandon Bryant, former Oregon State linebacker Bright Ugwoebu, and former Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal.

Despite these four players being available, it’s very possible that none of them could end up being taken in this year’s Supplemental Draft. Only three players have been selected in the Supplemental Draft since 2011.

Minnesota Vikings

Of the four prospects available this year, Alexander might be a guy that could interest the Vikings. He’s big (6-foot-3, 197 pounds), fast (sub 4.5 40-yard time), and is at his best in press coverage. Something Minnesota’s defense likes to run under head coach Mike Zimmer.

In three seasons at Virginia Tech, Alexander accumulated a total of seven interceptions and 17 pass breakups. The Vikings putting either their sixth or seventh-round pick in 2019 up for bid to land Alexander might be worth something for the team to consider.

Still, there’s no need for Minnesota to get in any sort of bidding war for any of these players. The Vikings already have a number of young prospects on their roster with a bunch of potential.

Minnesota has also never selected anyone in the Supplemental Draft during Rick Spielman’s tenure as the team’s general manager. The only time the Vikings actually ever landed anyone in this draft was back in 1988 when they used a fifth-round bid on South Carolina wide receiver Ryan Bethea.

Next: The 30 greatest Vikings players of all-time

Realistically speaking, Minnesota probably won’t be adding any new players to their roster during this year’s Supplemental Draft.