The Baltimore Ravens selected Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL supplemental draft, according to a report at Pro Football Talk.
There's a lot to like about Gaither. He's a massive athlete who stands nearly 6-foot-9, weighs 320 pounds, and ran a 40-yard dash at his individual workout that would have made him the fourth-fastest offensive lineman at this year's scouting combine. He also has experience at both left and right tackle.
But there are also things not to like: He flunked out of Maryland, which leads to questions about his dedication, and he has questionable upper-body strength, with a pitiful performance of 15 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press (which has been blamed at least in part on a shoulder injury).
Gaither probably won't play much this year, but Jonathan Ogden won't be around forever, and if Gaither can some day take Ogden's place, he'll be a bargain for the Ravens' 2008 fifth-round pick.
According to Pro Football Talk, the San Diego Chargers have selected Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver in the fourth round of the NFL supplemental draft. Oliver will be there when the Chargers open training camp, and the Chargers won't have a fourth-round pick next year.
Oliver was slow in his workout for NFL scouts, which is why no team wanted to spend a 2008 first-day pick on him. But coaches loved what they saw on tape of Oliver, especially when he was matched up with Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson, chosen second overall by the Lions in the April draft.
Oliver might take a bit of time to adjust to the speed of the NFL game, but by getting him now, the Chargers ensured that they won't be hit too hard by the likely loss of Drayton Florence, who becomes a free agent after the 2007 season.
Tomorrow is the NFL supplemental draft, the opportunity for NFL teams to use their choices in next year's draft on players who are available this year.
We previously noted that there have been a lot of supplemental draft busts, but Winning the Turnover Battle points out that there really are some diamonds in the rough, noting six different players who entered the league via the supplemental draft, with a combined 15 Pro Bowls among them.
My favorite of the bunch is probably Chargers nose tackle Jamal Williams, who left Oklahoma State and was chosen with a second-round pick in the 1998 supplemental draft. That was just a couple months after the Chargers took Ryan Leaf in the regular draft -- at least something worked out for San Diego that year.
I don't think any of the prospects in this year's supplemental draft are likely to be two-time Pro Bowlers like Williams, but I think there's a good chance that Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver will turn into a solid player, and there's a good chance that the Chargers will take him. We'll find out tomorrow.
Just mention Dave Brown to a Giants fan and you'll get a quick response to how well taking him with what would have been the ninth overall selection in 1993 turned out. Remember to duck when you do the mentioning and don't mention the names of Lincoln Kennedy or Jerome Bettis.
Yes, the Giants used their 1993 first-round pick to take Brown, a quarterback from Duke, in the 1992 supplemental draft. Brown ended up throwing 40 touchdown passes and 49 interceptions in six years with the Giants.
As Pro Football Talk has pointed out, there's rarely a good reason for a player to be available in the supplemental draft: He's usually been kicked out of school for academic reasons (like this year's top prospects, Jared Gaither and Paul Oliver) or told by his coach that he's not welcome back on the team for disciplinary reasons. Occasionally players like that turn out to be reliable players in the NFL, but in general, coaches and general managers would rather build their teams around players who go the traditional route when they enter the NFL.
Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither, who will be available in Thursday's NFL supplemental draft, had his workout for NFL teams today, and the results were mixed. DraftHeadquarters.com files this report:
Gaither check in at 6-feet-8¾ and 324 pounds. He ran between 4.98 and 5.14 seconds in the 40-yard sprint. He posted a vertical jump of 31½ inches, a broad jump of 9 feet, 3 inches, a short shuttle of 4.49-4.53 seconds and a cone drill of 7.12-7.25 seconds. He was able to do only 15 repetitions on the bench, having slightly injured his shoulder last week while preparing for Monday's audition.
John Clayton of ESPN reported that 16 teams showed up to Gaither's workout, which is a bit of a disappointment; Clayton's colleague Len Pasquarelli reported beforehand that most teams would be there. Clayton says the Jaguars are particularly interested in Gaither's services. They can probably get him for a fourth-round pick in the 2008 draft.
In preparation for Thursday's NFL supplemental draft, Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither will perform for scouts today in what's being described as a full, combine-style workout.
There are conflicting reports about what kind of shape Gaither is in. On the one hand, his agent says he'll weigh in at around 320 pounds, which is significantly less than the 350 or so he's been reported at, and a good sign that he hasn't been pigging out since leaving Maryland's football program. He's also reported to be capable of running the 40-yard dash in less than 4.8 seconds.
On the other hand, Gaither is apparently just hoping to bench press 225 pounds 25 times. That's not Kevin Durant-weak, but it's weak for an NFL offensive tackle.
Gaither has been described as a boom-or-bust player, and that seems about right. Most teams will have a scout on hand, and Gaither's performance could be the difference between a team giving up a 2008 second-round pick to get him, or him slipping all the way to a pick in the sixth-round range.
The list of players eligible for Thursday's NFL supplemental draft is set, and it's the typical mishmash of a few guys with solid talent and several who are highly unlikely ever to play in the NFL:
Morgan State DT Robert Armstrong Florida State DT Clifton Dickson Maryland OT Jared Gaither Central Missouri DB RoShawn Marshall Connecticut DB Donta' Moore Georgia DB Paul Oliver Nebraska OT Chris Patrick Utah State DT Brian Soi East Central (Okla.) OT Aaron Turner Texas State-San Marcos LB Mark Washington
I'd give Oliver (pictured) about a 95 percent chance of being selected (the Chargers are interested), Gaither a 90 percent chance and Patrick something less than 50 percent. Everyone else is pretty unlikely, although it's always possible that one team likes a guy enough to use a seventh-round pick on him.
To acquire a player in the supplemental draft, a team has to give up a pick in next year's draft. The team will also have to squeeze the player's contract into this year's rookie salary pool, which makes things more difficult, and means none of these guys are going to strike it rich, even if they are selected.
A league source says the San Diego Chargers are interested in Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver, who left school during the spring semester, and may choose him in the July 12 supplemental draft.
Oliver had a mediocre performance when he worked out for NFL scouts, and I was highly skeptical that any team would spend a 2008 first-day pick on him, but many observers in the league and in the media think some team will use its 2008 second- or third-round pick to get Oliver right now.
For the Chargers, the addition of Oliver (who had an outstanding game matched up against Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson, now with the Lions, last year) would anticipate the loss of Drayton Florence, who becomes a free agent after the 2007 season. Oliver would probably get minimal playing time as a rookie, but he has the potential to be a solid starter down the road, and it's that potential that will lead some team to take him next week.
Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither has decided to leave school and enter the NFL's supplemental draft, according to reports at Scout.com and DraftHeadquarters.com.
The 6-foot-9, 350-pound Gaither immediately becomes the top prospect in the July 13 supplemental draft, in which teams can give up 2008 draft picks to acquire players who will play for them in 2007.
Gaither was ruled academically ineligible this month, and there had been previous indications that he would try to regain his academic eligibility this year, play for Maryland in 2008, and enter the draft in 2009.
But that doesn't make much sense, and if Gaither does, in fact, enter the supplemental draft, he's making the right move. Some team will probably give up a third-round pick to acquire him, and he'll have earned several hundred thousand dollars before 2009, when he'd otherwise enter the league. Gaither probably won't contribute much as a rookie, but NFL scouts love his athleticism and potential.
The Baltimore Ravens selected Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL supplemental draft, according to a report at Pro Football Talk. 
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A league source says the San Diego Chargers are interested in Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver, who left school during the spring semester, and may choose him in the July 12 supplemental draft. 
Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither has decided to leave school and enter the NFL's supplemental draft, according to reports at 
