Supplemental Draft coming

The NFL will hold its Supplmental Draft of Thursday, with six players throwing their names into the fray.

None are considered as high-profile as Josh Gordon, who was selected by Cleveland in the second round last year, or even Terrelle Pryor, who was taken by Oakland in Round 3 two years ago.

The way the Supplemental Draft works is this: If you put in a claim on a player in a particular round, you forfeit that pick in the following year's draft. The trick of it is this, that player must still fit into this year's rookie salary pool.

The Steelers haven't gone to the Supplemental Draft for help for a number of reasons - most notably because if a guy is available in the Supplemental Draft, there's usually an issue with him, off-field or in the classroom.

Here's a look at the players who have made themselves available.

James Boyd, DE, UNLV: A 6-5, 250-pound defensive end, Boyd was a four-start recruit in high school after throwing for 4,200 yards with 44 touchdowns. That's right, he was a QB. He originally signed with USC before heading to West Los Angeles Community College. In his first, and only, season at defensive end, he had 2.5 sacks last year. He's raw and inexperienced, but his size/speed ratio could tempt someone to use a late pick on him.

Nate Holloway, DT, UNLV: A 6-3, 365-pound nose tackle, Boyd's UNLV teammate sat out the 2012 season due to academic issues. Insert your fat-drunk-stupid joke here. But seriously, he had 3.5 tackles for a loss in 2011, and given that  he hasn't played in two seasons, it's unlikely he gets a look.

Toby Jackson, DE, Central Florida: The 6-5, 267-pound Jackson also sat out the 2012 season with academic issues. He played just one season at Central Florida after starting his college career at Navarro College, a JUCO. Alabama and Georgia were reportedly interested in him coming out of JUCO, so he might have some talent. But he's pretty much an unknown.
Damond Smith, DB, South Alabama: Smith is an intriguing player who reportedly ran a 4.4 40 at his small-school pro day. Green Bay tried to sign him as an undrafted rookie following the draft, but it was ruled that he had to enter the Supplemental Draft. At 6-0, 185 pounds, Smith has good size, but he also transferred from Western Michigan to South Alabama following a fight with a teammate. Then, he was suspended later by South Alabama for a violation of team rules.

DeWayne Peace, WR, Houston: Here's a guy who might interest some teams. The 5-11, 190-pound Peace was Houston's leading receiver in 2012 with 54 receptions for 603 yards and two scores. But he was ruled academically ineligible in June and entered the Supplemental Draft. A team looking for slot receiver help might be tempted to give Peace a chance. That's all I'm saying.

O.J. Ross, WR, Purdue: Ross, 5-10, 188, missed Purdue's 2011 bowl game due to academics and was then thrown off the team in February for a violation of team rules. But he did catch 100 passes for 959 yards and six scores in three seasons for the Boilermakers. He was also used as a kick returner as a freshman and sophomore. I like Peace better as a player, however.