The fallout from the Ohio State affair could result in a little more excitement in the NFL supplemental draft. That assumes, of course, that the league has a supplemental draft and that players apply for it. Right now, speculation around whether or not the "OSU five" will declare for the supplemental draft. If they did, could any of those names be of interest for the St. Louis Rams?
The player that stands out the most to me is RB Dan Herron, who I mentioned briefly the other day. Herron is coming off a 1,155 yard, 16 TD season for OSU last year. He's a solid between the tackles back. He runs hard and accelerates well, and can also catch a pass. Rob Rang, with NFL Draft Scout and CBS, gave Herron a fifth- or sixth-round grade for the supplemental draft. Herron would be limited as a rookie behind Steven Jackson, which would be perfect since he would forfeit a year of development at OSU if he enters the supplemental draft.
Remember, with the supplemental draft teams are giving up their picks for the next year. So using a fifth round pick in the supplemental draft means a team loses its fifth rounder in the 2012 draft. Players in the supplemental draft are usually picked two or three rounds lower than they might be taken in the regular draft.
Another name of interest could be WR Devier Posey. He's not unlike what the Rams drafted this year in Austin Pettis and Greg Salas. His hands might not be as solid as those two, but he is very explosive off the line. Rang gives him a fifth-round grade.
Of course, there's always Terrelle Pryor, a similar player to Cam Newton only with more controversy. Considering he's been driving on a suspended license and frequently with a new car, he probably wouldn't pass the four pillars test. Still, his talent makes him interesting to think about on any team. There's also talk of converting him to wide receiver, even though nobody has seen him catch a ball.
It's still a big 'if' as to whether or not these players would apply for the supplemental draft. Even with a five game suspension and a new coach, they could vastly improve their draft stock with another year of football...and make more money. If I were the Rams, I'd be watching as much tape as I could on Herron in case he does come out this summer.