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How Brendan Sorsby's NFL supplemental draft process will work and potential landing spots originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Brendan Sorsby was one of the top transfers during the offseason, but his college football career is now over after a long, winding saga.
Sorsby was the subject of an investigation for gambling as an active college player since 2022, and the quarterback has stepped away from Texas Tech to deal with a gambling addiction.
Despite his eligibility being restored by a district judge on June 8, heavy backlash against Texas Tech led Sorsby and the Red Raiders to part ways and the quarterback to start focusing his efforts on the NFL.
Luckily for Sorsby, the NFL has a mechanism to add college players to the league after the NFL Draft has already occurred. The Texas Tech quarterback is now set to join the NFL in the 2026 season through the supplemental draft.
Here's a breakdown of the NFL supplemental draft and how it will work for Sorsby.
MORE: Why Brendan Sorsby and Texas Tech are parting ways
What is the NFL supplemental draft?
The NFL supplemental draft is an alternate draft that takes place in August and features college players who didn't enter the NFL Draft but endured eligibility issues and decided to make the move to the NFL before the 2026 season.
While the supplemental draft isn't used frequently in the modern NFL, it was used more often in the past. The best player to come out of the supplemental draft was Cris Carter, who is the only Hall-of-Fame player taken with a supplemental draft pick, while Bernie Kosar, Terrelle Pryor and Josh Gordon are other players who made the NFL in this fashion.
The 2026 supplemental draft doesn't have a date yet, but the deadline to apply is June 22.
MORE: Who were the winners and losers from the NFL Draft?
How does the NFL supplemental draft work?
The NFL supplemental draft has a different rhythm than the NFL Draft. Teams are separated into three groups, and the order within those groups is decided through a weighted lottery. The groups include, in order:
- Teams with six or fewer wins
- Non-playoff teams with seven or more wins
- Playoff teams
In order to select a player, a team must bid a draft pick on that player, with the highest bid securing the rights to the player. If there is a tie, the winner is the team with the highest pick in the highest group.
Teams that are awarded a player in the supplemental draft must forfeit the pick they bid in the following draft. For example, if a team bids a third-round pick on a player this year and is awarded the player, it would lose its third-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
MORE: The best value picks in the 2026 NFL Draft
Brendan Sorsby NCAA gambling scandal
The NCAA investigated Sorsby for gambling while he was an active member of college football teams since 2022. Additionally, Sorsby took a leave of absence from Texas Tech, as he checked into a residential treatment center to deal with a gambling addiction.
According to reports, Sorsby made small bets while a member of the Indiana football team in 2022, which included betting on the Hoosiers to win in games he didn't play. The NCAA forbids active athletes from betting, with harsher punishments depending on the context.
MORE: Complete details on Brendan Sorsby's gambling addiction, investigation
Brendan Sorsby NFL landing spots
New York Jets
The Jets opted to punt on taking a quarterback high in the 2026 NFL Draft, instead going with Cade Klubnik in the fourth round. New York's quarterback room is pretty light, with Geno Smith leading the way and Klubnik, Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook filling out the depth.
In 2027, the Jets own three first-round picks and all of their own picks from through the fifth round, so New York has the ammo to potentially take a shot at bidding on Sorsby. Sorsby and Klubnik would immediately be in a battle for the backup job, and potentially for starter reps if Smith doesn't play well.
Arizona Cardinals
Another team that took a quarterback in the 2026 draft, the Cardinals added Carson Beck in the third round as their young quarterback. Arizona also has Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew to fill out the depth chart for the 2026 season.
Still, the Cardinals may have wanted to draft Ty Simpson, but were forced to settle on Beck when the Rams took Simpson. Arizona currently has all of its own picks in 2027 and none from other teams via trades, so the team may just want to give Beck a chance.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins signed Malik Willis to be their starting quarterback in 2026 and followed that up by passing on taking a quarterback in 2026. Miami's current quarterback depth chart doesn't have much depth, with Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller rounding out the quarterback room.
Sorsby could give the Dolphins the opportunity to take a chance on a young quarterback along with Ewers behind Willis this year. Miami owns all of its own picks from rounds 1-6 in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Cleveland Browns
When it comes to quarterbacks, the Browns are always a threat to add a young one to the roster. Cleveland's quarterback room is muddied with Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Taylen Green, but the team hasn't been shy in spending resources on the quarterback position.
Sorsby would be the fourth young quarterback Cleveland added in the last two years, which would make practices pretty crowded. However, the Browns own eight picks in the first five rounds of the 2027 NFL Draft, giving them resources to spare.
Detroit Lions
It's possible a team takes Sorsby with the plan being to develop him to be its backup quarterback, making the Lions an interesting landing spot. Detroit has just two quarterbacks on its roster, Jared Goff and Teddy Bridgewater, both of whom are over the age of 30.
Sorsby would give the Lions a young quarterback to develop behind Goff with the intention of being Goff's backup for the next few years. Detroit owns all of its picks in the 2027 NFL Draft and could use a mid-round pick to take the chance on Sorsby.
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