The USFL conducted its 2022 Supplemental Draft on Thursday. After selecting 35 players in last month’s two-day positional draft, the New Jersey Generals drafted ten more players to their roster.

Unlike last month’s draft, the format for selecting players in the supplemental draft was a wide-open process. Last month, The New Jersey Generals, led by veteran head coach Mike Riley drafted 17 players on offense, 16 players on defense, and two specialists on special teams.

Final USFL Player Additions?

There might be more player additions to USFL teams before the season opens on Saturday, April 15th. But as of this moment, every team in the league has 45 players. The active roster for the regular season will field 38 players, with seven on each team’s practice squad.

The USFL has a two-day tryout camp in Birmingham later this month. But details are very vague. ANC is also holding combines in the coming weeks to help USFL scouts evaluate prospects.

For now, USFL teams have their 45 player rosters. Let’s break down the positions the New Jersey Generals addressed and the players they selected in Thursday’s Supplemental Draft.

USFL 2022 Supplemental Draft

New Jersey Generals, 1st round, selection #5: DE, Tyshun Render, Middle Tenn State

Chris Dishman’s defense adds another edge rusher. The 6’4 245lb Middle, Tennessee State product is 24 years old. Render has spent time with the Miami Dolphins, on and off their roster, since going undrafted in 2020. Tyshun Render was on Miami’s practice squad in 2020 and was elevated to the active roster for two games during that season. Miami signed him to a futures deal after the 2020 season, but Render just missed the roster cut in late August of 2021.

A 6-4, 256-pound defensive end, Render finished his senior season at MTSU with 49 tackles, ten tackles for loss, 3½ sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and an interception. He finished his career with 119 tackles, 19½ tackles for loss, and 6½ sacks. He is a very raw prospect who caught the eyes of NFL teams during pre-draft workouts.

Most notably, A workout set up by MTSU offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, who’s had a long-standing relationship with New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Render spent time with the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach. The Generals are hoping they can tap into Render’s upside this season.

New Jersey Generals, 2nd round, selection #4: CB/Returner, Christian Tutt, Auburn

The New Jersey Generals are leaving no stones unturned with the selection of former Auburn DB/PR Christian Tutt. The former four-star high-school recruit has had a unique journey up until this point. After playing CB, Safety, and being ranked fifth in the nation in punt return average. After his junior season, Tutt decided to enter the transfer portal because he was looking for more playing time on defense.

But the decision backfired. The 5’11 192lb Tutt couldn’t find a new home. And instead, he decided to turn pro. Unfortunately, a poor pro day, where he ran a 4.7 in the 40, hurt his stock, and Tutt went undrafted in 2021. Ever since then, he has been looking for a new football home.

The Generals have a roster filled with players who can return kicks and punts. But Tutt brings added versatility as a returner and has also played safety and the nickel position in college.

 The former four-star recruit from Thompson, Georgia, was a two-year starter for the Tigers at nickel, totaling 88 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, six pass breakups, and three interceptions during his career. Perhaps, the USFL can give Tutt new hope and a new life.

New Jersey Generals, 3rd round, selection #3: SS/LB, Mike Bell, Fresno State

Three straight defensive picks by New Jersey, with each player bringing positional versatility to the table. Because of the USFL’s limited roster size, players like Fresno State’s Mike Bell can be useful on game days.

The now 6’3 223lb Bell at Fresno State played CB and S for three seasons, collecting career numbers of 198 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions, 16 pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble. Bell was an All-Mountain West second-team selection after his 2018 season. He was a three-star recruit out of California. Despite having a solid collegiate career. Bell declared early for the NFL but went undrafted.

Bell has been transitioning to play linebacker since turning pro. He has spent the last three offseasons, on and off the Buffalo Bills offseason roster. Like the Generals’ second-round pick Christian Tutt, Bell didn’t test well, running only a 4.8 in the 40, hence why he has made the switch to linebacker.

New Jersey Generals, 4th round, selection #6: S, Paris Ford, Pittsburgh

Four picks up, four defensive players selected by New Jersey. And each one with a similar background. Paris Ford was a top-flight college player at Pitt. The 6’0 defensive back was a first-team All-ACC player in 2019. In 2020, he opted out early to prepare for the NFL draft. But a poor workout, which saw him run a 4.8 in the 40-yard dash, damaged his stock. As a result, Ford went undrafted. He signed with the LA Rams but could not make their roster last summer.

Ford was a very productive college player. And going into his redshirt junior year, He was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award, Jim Thorpe Award, and Bronko Nagurski Trophy watchlists and was a preseason All-American. So, New Jersey is banking of Paris Ford returning to form.

New Jersey Generals, 5th round, selection #2: P, Brock Miller, Southern Utah

Going into the supplemental draft, the thought process was that New Jersey could once again bypass selecting a punter. Simply because of the USFL’s limited 38-player roster size. But the Generals thought better of it and selected a quality punter and holder in Brock Miller.

The well-traveled southpaw punter, Miller, has spent time with the San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, and was a standout specialist for the Seattle Dragons in the XFL.

Since his turn with the XFL in 2020, Miller has remained on the NFL workout circuit but hasn’t been able to latch on with any teams. The USFL should allow the talented specialist to display his skills on a national level again.

New Jersey Generals, 6th round, selection #7: RB, Darius Victor, Towson

As reported here at USFLNewsHub in my supplemental draft preview, Darius Victor was not only in the USFL draft pool but a favored suggestion for the Generals. New Jersey added a fantastic tackle-breaking runner to their backfield by selecting Victor, who dominated the XFL with highlight-reel runs with the New York Guardians.

The 5’8 210lb Darius Victor was a dominant player at Towson. An All-CAA player who scored 42 touchdowns for the Tigers. Victor has spent time with the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals before starring in the XFL with New York in 2020. Victor should be the perfect complement to a New Jersey backfield, which features Ohio state tailback Mike Weber, and another former XFL running back in Trey Williams.

New Jersey Generals, 7th round, selection #8: OG/OT, Robert Myers, Tennessee State

A need and value pick for New Jersey. Robert Myers, the former fifth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens, is a well-traveled veteran who can play multiple positions up front. That’s precisely what the Generals needed heading into this draft, with only six offensive linemen on the roster.

Myers, 30 years old, has experience playing with four NFL teams and in the AAF, XFL, and TSL. He’s the ideal swingman backup who can also bring veteran leadership to a very young Generals locker room.

New Jersey Generals, 8th round, selection #1: TE, Carson Williams, Western Kentucky

The photo above is not a mistake. The Generals are certainly hoping they didn’t make one either by drafting former college basketball player turned tight end, Carson Williams.

Former San Diego head coach Mike Riley just missed the emergence of future Hall of Fame TE Antonio Gates with the Chargers. But ever since, Gates made the transition from playing basketball at Kent State to becoming an all-world tight end in the NFL. Scouts and coaches have continued searching for the next Gates.

Riley and The Generals are taking a flyer on Carson Williams, the 6’5 240lb former forward, who was named Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball in 2016. Williams played two seasons at Northern Kentucky and then transferred to Western Kentucky.

After graduating, Carson worked out as a TE at WKU’s pro day leading into the 2021 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder posted a 38-inch vertical jump and a 4.73-second 40-yard dash. That was good enough for the Las Vegas Raiders to sign him as an undrafted free agent last summer.

Williams might not start out on the Generals’ active roster. But he certainly has upside and could end up being a factor before the season ends.

New Jersey Generals, 9th round, selection #4: G/C/T, Brandon Haskin, Tennessee St

As expected and predicted in my supplemental draft preview for New Jersey. There was no way that the Generals were walking out of this draft without selecting two offensive linemen, and it just so happens that both of NJ’s picks are Tennessee State alums.

Brandon Haskin, like Robert Myers, has position versatility, and it’s a crucial and necessary element for USFL teams to have on their bench. Haskin can play on the pivot at center, inside at guard, and tackle. The 6’3 320lb swing linemen brings toughness and smarts to the table and should be a valuable depth piece for New Jersey.

New Jersey Generals, 10th round, selection #5: WR, Alonzo Moore, Nebraska

It figures that Mike Riley would close out the draft process by selecting a player that he coached in college at Nebraska and in the AAF with San Antonio. The well-traveled veteran receiver, Alonzo Moore, was also in the XFL with Tampa and the Seattle Dragons, another Riley-associated team.

The 6’1 199lb Alonzo Moore was a big-play receiver as a Cornhusker in college, averaging 20 yards per catch, before landing a spot with the Kansas City Chiefs. Moore was never able to break through up the depth chart, and he has been a journeyman player ever since.

At Nebraska, Moore also had a strong reputation off the field. Moore was awarded the Tom Osborne Citizenship Award and the Brook Berringer Citizenship Award. These awards are granted for exceptional service to the community. On a very young roster, as the Generals have, the 29-year-old Moore should help give his former coach Riley a strong veteran presence in the locker room.

USFL 2022 Supplement Draft: Final NJ Generals Analysis

By the numbers, this was a very logical draft by the Generals. New Jersey selected four defensive players, five offensive players, and one specialist. Many of the players drafted have position versatility, which is a must in the USFL because of roster restrictions.

The surprising element is that the Generals did not select a quarterback. For now, New Jersey is rolling into the regular season with Ben Holmes and De’Andre Johnson at quarterback. Barring injuries, those will be the team’s top two options. However, with upcoming tryouts in Birmingham, there is the possibility that another QB could be added in the future. But Mike Riley appears to be rolling the dice on what he currently has at the position.

The best pick of this draft for New Jersey might be RB Darius Victor. The Generals’ may lean heavily on their rushing attack this season. And running back, on paper, is arguably their strongest position, with Mike Weber, Trey Williams, and Victor now in the fold.

The whole point of a supplemental draft is to supplement your roster. Based on who the Generals selected, they did a good job drafting players who will do just that. However, not having a third quarterback on the roster is risky, even if Mike Riley is sold on Ben Holmes and DeAndre Johnson.