Central Michigan guard Joe McMahon, Florida State wide receiver Corey Surrency and Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon have sent in their paperwork to be included in the NFL's annual supplemental draft on July 16, NFLDraftScout.com has learned.
Jarmon is considered the only lock to be drafted, though McMahon and Surrency offer enough upside to warrant a close look by NFL teams.
The 6-foot-3, 279-pound Jarmon was named an Honorable Mention All-SEC selection last season by the Associated Press after registering 38 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks as a junior. Those numbers pale in comparison to Jarmon's career highs from a year earlier, when he had 62 tackles and 13.5 sacks.
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| Jeremy Jarmon is third on Kentucky's career list with 17.5 sacks. (Getty Images) |
The banned substance, reported by multiple websites to be an over-the-counter dietary supplement, led to Jarmon being suspended for one season, which exhausted his eligibility because he redshirted as a freshman. UK's appeal of the suspension was denied.
A veteran of 31 career starts, Jarmon has already graduated with a degree in political science and is highly recommended by the UK staff despite the suspension.
Jarmon considered leaving after his junior season, applying to the NFL Advisory Committee and receiving a fourth- to fifth-round grade.
McMahon and Surrency are less likely to be drafted, according to league sources.
An NJCAA All-American at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Ill., McMahon signed with Iowa State before transferring to Central Michigan. Forced to sit out a season due to the NCAA transfer restrictions, McMahon was only eligible for practice with the Chippewas, though he impressed the coaching staff enough to earn the team's offensive scout team player of the year honors. He developed into a key component on the offensive line in 2008, alternating between right guard and center while starting 12 of 13 games.
McMahon elected to make himself eligible for the supplemental draft due to struggles with academics.
Surrency had been characterized by those close to the Florida State program as a player capable of playing at the NFL level. Estimated at 6-5, 220 pounds and running the 40-yard dash in the low 4.5s, he certainly has the size and speed scouts are looking for. Surrency tied for the team lead with four receiving touchdowns on just 12 catches overall for 237 yards last season.
Surrency, who played only one year at FSU, transferred from El Camino Community College in California last summer. He lost a year of eligibility because he played for the Florida Kings, a South Florida semi-pro team, after he turned 21 and before he went to El Camino, invoking a rarely used NCAA rule which stipulates that any players participating in any professional sports after their 21st birthday but before enrolling in college shall lose a year of eligibility in that sport.
Surrency has a laundry list of character concerns, including being suspended twice in his one year in Tallahassee. He also turns 25 this year. His upside, however, could be significant enough to warrant a look by some clubs.
Surrency dropped out of high school in the ninth grade, and has limited time on the football field. A Christian program designed to assist troubled youths helped him to enroll and play at El Camino JC in 2007. An impressive season there (34 catches for 649 yards and five touchdowns) made him one of the more highly recruited JUCO prospects in the country. Surrency picked Florida State over a host of other programs, including LSU, Oregon, West Virginia, California and Louisville.
Designed to be an avenue into the NFL for "special case" players, the supplemental draft had grown in popularity in recent years. The draft was canceled last year due to a lack of player eligibility, but 10 players applied for special eligibility in 2007. Two were selected.
San Diego drafted former Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver in the fourth round, and Baltimore selected Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither a round later. Gaither took over for future Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden at left tackle last season, starting 15 of the 16 regular-season games. Oliver contributed 15 tackles while playing in 12 games for the Chargers in 2008.
Nine players have been selected in the supplemental draft over the past decade, including Chargers nose guard Jamal Williams and Seahawks guard Mike Wahle, who have both been to the Pro Bowl.
Since its inception in 1977, a total of 37 players have been selected via the supplemental draft. Among the most notable selections were quarterback Bernie Kosar (Cleveland, 1985), wide receiver Cris Carter (Philadelphia, 1987) and linebacker Brian Bosworth (Seattle, 1987).
The supplemental draft was originally created for players who had lost their eligibility to play collegiate football between the regular April draft and the beginning of the next season. Many "special case" players had lost their eligibility due to academics or legal troubles.
Unlike the televised April draft, the supplemental is carried out via e-mail among teams. The teams, slotted into three groups based on their won/loss percentage the year previous, contact the league with a list of the players they'd draft and the round in which they'd take them. Any team that uses a supplemental draft pick would then lose the corresponding selection in the NFL Draft the following April.
The list of players eligible for this year's supplemental draft could grow, as players have until July 6 to apply.
Rob Rang is a senior analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange.
