The plan sounds good: Draft a guy now, using a pick from the following April, and acclimate him to your system. Whoever the pick is gets a bonus year. Too bad it doesn’t always pan out. Actually, it usually doesn’t — as the Redskins well know.
Three summers ago they drafted Jeremy Jarmon in the NFL’s supplemental draft, using a third-round choice. He’s now out of the league (though they somehow managed to trade him to Denver last summer for Jabar Gaffney).
Which brings us to Thursday’s supplemental draft. Wide receiver Josh Gordon, a former teammate of Robert Griffin III’s is expected to be chosen, likely sometime between the second and fourth rounds.
Former NFL scout and current Sporting News draft analyst Russ Lande gave Gordon a second-round grade.
“He’s a stud,” Lande said. “He’s a big kid, a natural at catching the ball. He has the speed to run away from people. … He’s raw in route-running, but in terms of pure physical talent there’s a lot to like.”
But here’s the rub: Gordon was kicked out of Baylor — he was once arrested for marijuana possession and told the Houston Chronicle that he also tested positive for the drug — and transferred to Utah. He never played there after having to sit out last season.
“He’s a good kid at heart,” Lande said. “He has positive traits, and he just made mistakes of maturity.”
Though the Redskins have questions at receiver, it’s hard to imagine them selecting Gordon. They did attend his workout at Baylor on Tuesday, but having just signed two free agent receivers in Pierre Garcon — who would play a similar role as Gordon — and Josh Morgan and with the coaches high on Leonard Hankerson, the need is not great. They would be wise to pass.
There is a list of supplemental draft choices who have blossomed: quarterback Bernie Kosar (first round, 1985), receiver Cris Carter (fourth round, 1987), linebacker Ahmad Brooks (third round, 2006), defensive lineman Jamal Williams (second round, 1998) and receiver Rob Moore (first round, 1990). But teams end up drafting even more on potential than during the regular draft. Remember: There are a lot of guys who receive high grades before the season only to go way down afterward.
– John Keim
