Report: Cardinals take WSU’s Jalen Thompson in NFL supplemental draft

The Arizona Cardinals selected Washington State safety Jalen Thompson in the fifth round of the NFL supplemental draft on Wednesday, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Thompson just recently entered his name into the draft after losing his final year of eligibility in college at the end of June due to an NCAA violation, according to The Spokesman-Review.

The violation was allegedly regarding an over-the-counter supplement purchase that was not a steroid, added the newspaper.

#GoCougs 🐾 pic.twitter.com/ULCRdDe5WF

— ⭐️JT #34⭐️ (@jt_broooo) June 29, 2019

Thompson was the first and only player selected in the supplemental draft that included five players, and Arizona was fourth in the priority order. He was projected as a mid- to late-round pick had he entered the 2020 draft and as a junior in 2018 made 66 tackles with 3.0 for loss and two interceptions. He also had eight passes defensed.

At 6-foot and 190 pounds, Thompson’s best year came in his sophomore year, when he recorded 73 tackles, 5.5 for loss, plus four picks and three fumble recoveries.

The draft allows teams to blindly submit a bid and a selection round for players they are interested in. The highest bidder drafts the rights to that player but must forfeit that a draft pick in that same round in the next year’s NFL Draft.

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