The 2019 NFL Supplemental Draft is over, and the Arizona Cardinals made the only pick by taking Washington State safety Jalen Thompson in the fifth round, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
That means that the handful of other players who put their names into the draft, like West Virginia receiver Marcus Simms, went undrafted. Thompson was always seen as very likely to get picked, while Simms was the only other player with a realistic shot.
By taking Thompson, the Cardinals will now have to forfeit their fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The supplemental draft is for college players who didn't file for the original draft but then decided to declare, usually because of being ruled ineligible for the upcoming NCAA season.
The reports coming into this week had all been that Thompson was given a third or fourth-round grade entering the season. A three-year starter at Washington State, Thompson started as a freshman and never missed a game. Over the past two years, he had six interceptions and 8.5 tackles for loss.
There have been some rumblings that Thompson might be seen as too small to play safety in the pros, and might have to transition to cornerback. Arizona is an interesting destination, as they just used a fifth-round pick on a safety back in April, taking Deionte Thompson from Alabama.
The Cardinals completely overhauled their defense this year in the first season of the Kliff Kingsbury era. Former Broncos coach Vance Joseph is coordinating the defense now, and he likes to be very aggressive with his defensive backs. Arizona is clearly high on him, and it'll be interesting to see if he can get on the field as a rookie.
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