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Everything Jets Fans Need to Know About the Supplemental Draft (and Whether They Can Land Brendan Sorsby)

Jovan Alford|
A look at everything Jets fans need to know about the supplemental NFL draft, as well as Brendan Sorsby's outlook.
A look at everything Jets fans need to know about the supplemental NFL draft, as well as Brendan Sorsby's outlook. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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New York Jets

On Monday night, the Jets and the other 31 NFL teams received more clarity about Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s future. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that the Texas Tech signal-caller will be applying for the NFL’s supplemental draft.

Pelissero added that Sorsby’s attorneys will withdraw their lawsuit on Tuesday, which will make him ineligible, and it will officially open the door for the Texas Tech quarterback to make his way to the NFL and the supplemental draft.

Sorsby has been the topic of conversation in the sports world as he allegedly wagered $90,000 on various sports while in college. Sorsby, who was considered one of the top QBs in the 2027 NFL Draft, was initially denied his reinstatement request by the NCAA.

However, last week, a district court judge in Lubbock, Texas, granted Sorsby’s injunction, making him eligible to play this upcoming season, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. But the pushback has been fierce, as the NCAA and even the Big 12 conference itself made their voices heard about Sorsby.

So now it leaves the redshirt senior quarterback with no other options but the supplemental draft, which also begs the question: What do the Jets do? But before we answer that question, we have a quick explainer on the supplemental draft process below.

Explainer on the supplemental draft process and how it impacts the Jets

For those fans who are not quite familiar with the supplemental draft process, here’s the NFL’s timeline.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the deadline to apply for the NFL’s supplemental draft is Monday, June 22. That’s for Sorsby or any other college football player who so chooses to enter the draft.

From there, Sorsby will have a window between July 5-12 to hold a pro day and also work out privately for teams. Finally, in late July, the supplemental draft will be held.

Breer did a great explainer on the process earlier this month on Sports Illustrated, which you should check out. But for those looking for the cliff-notes version, here you go:

  • Draft order is set by a lottery system based on last year’s record, and teams are then split up into three categories.
  • The Jets would be in the first category/tier as they won six or fewer games in 2025. The second and third categories involve teams that won seven or more games last season, those that missed the playoffs, and those that made the playoffs.
  • The Jets are in a unique position, as they have three first-round picks (their own and the other two from the Colts and Cowboys). Therefore, New York could use one of those first-round picks to take Sorsby, as the Colts and Cowboys are in that second tier of the lottery drawing.
  • However, if New York were to surrender one of those selections on Sorsby, they wouldn’t have it for the 2027 NFL Draft, so there’s a risk. Earlier this month, Tony Paulie of Essentially Sports reported that Sorsby would be a “late 1st/early 2nd round pick depending on the order.” New York does own a second-round pick in the 2027 draft, but it’d be banking on not another QB team taking him in the first round.
  • Lastly, in the case that Sorsby does not get selected in the supplemental draft, aka goes undrafted, he would become a free agent.

New York again is in an interesting position, as it took a quarterback in this year’s draft in Cade Klubnik, who has already created quite a buzz to start his Jets’ career. But the temptation to add another signal-caller with upside, especially with veteran Geno Smith being a free agent after this season, is something to keep in mind.

Jets supplemental draft history

If the Jets were to take Sorsby in this year’s supplemental draft next month, it wouldn’t be the first time that the Jets made a move like that. In fact, the first and only time New York took a player in the supplemental draft was WR Rob Moore in 1990 in the first round.

Moore, who played his college football at Syracuse and is a New York native, had one more year of eligibility. However, the 6-foot-3, 203-pound wide receiver decided to take his shot with the NFL as he graduated in the spring of 1990.

Moore spent the first five years with Gang Green, where he had 322 receptions (719 targets) for 5,110 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns. The former Syracuse receiver quickly emerged as a playmaker during his rookie season in 1990, recording 44 receptions (82 targets) for 692 yards and six touchdowns. Moore’s performance as a supplemental draft pick landed him on the 1990 All-Rookie Team.

Moore continued to show that he was one of the Jets’ top receiving threats over the next three years, but he didn’t have his true breakout until 1994, which was the season he made his first Pro Bowl. He turned in his first 1,000-yard campaign, posting 78 receptions (159 targets) for 1,010 yards and six touchdowns.

However, the New York native’s tenure with Gang Green would come to a sudden end. The Jets traded Moore on April 21, 1994, to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a 1995 first-round pick, a 1995 fourth-round pick, and Ronald Moore.

The first-round selection turned into Hugh Douglas, while the fourth-rounder became Melvin Hayes. As for Moore, he spent five seasons with the Cardinals, where he made the Pro Bowl and was first-team All-Pro in 1997. The ex-Jets receiver had two 1,000-yard campaigns in Arizona.

Moore had two IR stints in 2000 and 2001 with the Cardinals, and then signed with the Denver Broncos in March 2002 before getting cut in August of that year.

History of QBs selected in the NFL supplemental draft

Surprisingly, there have been six quarterbacks taken in the history of the NFL’s supplemental draft, according to ESPN Research (h/t ESPN’s Rich Cimini). The first quarterback taken was Dave Wilson by the Saints in the first round in 1981.

The last quarterback in the supplemental draft was Terrelle Pryor, by the then-Oakland Raiders in 2011. Pryor, who played for the Jets towards the end of his career, appeared in 15 games (made 10 starts) at QB with the Raiders. However, the former Ohio State QB had success as a wide receiver.

History isn’t on the Jets' or any team’s side if they want to take Sorsby in the supplemental draft. The only QB on that list who had a ton of success was Bernie Kosar.

Kosar completed 59.3% of his passes for 23,301 yards, 124 TDs, and 87 interceptions. He spent nine years with the Browns, where he was named to the Pro Bowl in 1987 and went to the playoffs four times.

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Jovan Alford
JOVAN ALFORD

Jovan has over 13 years of experience in sports media, including stops at The Philadelphia Tribune, SB Nation, FanSided and Hoops Habit. Most recently joining OnSI, his teams covered include the New York Jets, New York Yankees and New York Knicks.