NFL Supplemental Draft 2013: Breakdown of Eligible Players

Today is the final event before NFL teams kick off training camp later this month. The 2013 Supplemental Draft will be held via e-mail as the 32 teams around the league get a chance at six very talented, but troubled former college football players. The players in the class become eligible after a number of circumstances lead to their dismissal from the team or they end up being ruled academically ineligible.

[RELATED: 2013 Supplemental Draft Order]

While most players do not end up being selected, there are often some intriguing project players that are in the draft field. So who is eligible to be selected today?

Here is a breakdown of the six eligible players in today’s draft:

James Boyd, defensive end, UNLV
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 255 pounds

Boyd is a very raw player that has never worked out on the college level. He has intriguing tools, but teams will have ask themselves if he is worth the risk. When you consider that he couldn’t break through at UNLV against lesser competition, it is hard to see a team willing to forfeit a 2014 draft pick for a player as raw as Boyd.

Nate Holloway, defensive tackle, UNLV
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 365 pounds 

Holloway enters the supplemental draft after leaving UNLV for “undisclosed reasons“. Holloway showed flashes of potential during his first two years at UNLV, but academics brought his career to a halt as he was never able to return to the field. While he has intriguing NFL size, the lack of playing time and film on Holloway will lead him to the undrafted ranks. Some team could consider bringing him on board for a camp body, but it’s hard to see him breaking through and finding a place on a regular-season roster or practice squad.

Toby Jackson, defensive end, Central Florida
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 257 pounds

Jackson was academically ineligible for his senior season. Jackson is a former Georgia Bulldogs recruit, but academics stopped him from being eligible to enroll in the university. He then made the move to Georgia Military College and Navarro College, but academics continued to haunt the player. Jackson made his way to UCF where the team still believed he could make an impact, but he failed to qualify for his senior season after a lackluster junior campaign. Jackson did hold a workout on Monday, but it won’t be enough to interest teams after having basically no real college experience.

DeWayne Peace, wide receiver, Houston
Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 190 pounds

Peace is another player that was academically ineligible. Peace’s road to the supplemental draft began in junior college before ultimately splashing on to the scene with the Houston Cougars. Despite being the team’s leading receiver last season, Peace could not stay atop the depth chart during spring ball. His lack of size and physicality will hurt him in the eyes of NFL scouts and the three-game suspension for violations of team rules won’t help him one bit. However, there is a chance that Peace could be worth a training camp spot.

O.J. Ross, wide receiver, Purdue
Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 188 pounds

Ross is one of the most talented players in the supplemental draft class, but there are major red flags after he has been suspended twice by Purdue. If there is a team desperate to add bodies at wide receiver, Ross could be worth a late-round pick. Ross was one of the most exciting playmakers in the Big Ten last season and he made some waves the year before, but the most recent suspension put his status for 2013 in jeopardy. Instead of sticking it out in the college ranks, Ross decided to make the jump and see if he could make a move in the NFL. Ross is probably the most likely player to warrant a selection and camp spot.

Damond Smith, defensive back, South Alabama
Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 181 pounds

Smith has generated plenty of interest from NFL teams and likely would have already been on an NFL roster if he had been more responsible. The Green Bay Packers were hoping to sign Smith as an undrafted free agent after the 2013 NFL Draft, but he failed to complete his paperwork and was not eligible to be signed. Smith also has two major red flags on his record that include a fight with a teammate and a reported failed drug test. The physical skill set is definitely there, but with the focus on high character players it will be interesting to see if anyone forfeit’s a 2014 draft pick to pick up a player that will surely get a chance in camp.

Will anyone be selected in the supplemental draft? It all goes down at 1:00 p.m. ET.