Beal & Alexander: Who are the 2 CBs selected in supplemental draft?

The supplemental draft - designed to account for NFL-eligible players who didn't declare for the spring draft - is usually met with a chorus of "who cares?!" by football fans desperate for training camp to get underway.

This year's edition is different.

The 2018 Supplemental Draft boasts two talented prospects in cornerbacks Sam Beal of Western Michigan and Adonis Alexander of Virginia Tech who both enticed teams to give up draft picks for the first time since the (then) St. Louis Rams selected Isaiah Battle in the fifth round in the 2015 supplemental draft. Beal was taken with a third-round pick by the New York Giants, while the Washington Redskins scooped up Alexander with a sixth-round selection.

Here's a look at what both players selected Wednesday have to offer:

CB Sam Beal, Western Michigan

Why didn't he declare for the spring draft?

Unlike the majority of supplemental draft prospects, Beal wasn't forced to declare for this event due to off-field issues. He decided to forgo the 2018 NFL Draft in order to finish his degree following an impressive junior season, but then left Western Michigan when he was ruled academically ineligible.

How good is he?

The roughly 6-foot-1 Beal started two years for Western Michigan and possesses the kind of size and length teams covet in an outside corner. He recorded a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, a 37-inch vertical, and a 10'6" broad jump during his pro day, so there should be little doubt about his ability to stay with NFL wide receivers from an athletic standpoint.

At 190 pounds, however, he does need to add bulk if he's to consistently hold up in press-man coverage. Beal also lacks physicality, which could be fixed by building up his strength, but it's disappointing for a player of his size.

On the play below, he's lined up at the bottom of the frame in an aggressive coverage position. As his receiver releases to the outside, Beal opens up his hips with fluidity and ease and then shows off his speed by running stride for stride.

What's even more impressive, though, is that Beal isn't just content to be in a strong coverage position. The 21-year-old defensive back is a ballhawk - he had eight pass breakups last year - and he's already adept at recognizing when his receiver is beginning to look back for the ball and mirroring their movements.

Here, Beal gets his body in between the receiver and the ball in order to make the catch more difficult and is able to get his arms up to disrupt the pass from one of college football's best quarterbacks in Sam Darnold, who was drafted No. 3 overall by the New York Jets.

CB Adonis Alexander, Virginia Tech

Why didn't he declare for the spring draft?

Like Beal, Alexander was ruled academically ineligible for his senior year. He admitted he lacked motivation for classes after shining as a junior. Unlike Beal, however, Alexander does have off-field red flags to confront.

He was arrested for marijuana possession in April 2016 and suspended for the first two games of the 2017 campaign for violating team rules.

"I can honestly say the past year, maturity has been my biggest thing," Alexander told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. "I have been improving on discipline. Discipline is a big thing for me now, because nothing can really be done without discipline. And I understand that now."

How good is he?

"Adonis" is an apt - not to mention awesome - name for the physical and aggressive 6-foot-3 corner. Alexander's length and size often confound receivers, and he can even work from the slot thanks to his footwork and agility.

He does have questions to answer about his upper-body strength after only managing nine reps of 225 pounds during his workout, but that doesn't show up on tape too often. He does lack top-tier straight-line speed, though, and could struggle to close separation on deep routes against out-and-out speed demons.

However, as evidenced by the play below, his length affords him more room for error than your average corner, as he's able to attack balls from the trail position and force turnovers (he had seven career interceptions).

Alexander will need his aggressive streak channeled and focused in order to avoid being a penalty machine in the NFL, but teams should be excited about how much room he has to grow, and him potentially going blow for blow with the league's biggest receivers.