The 2012 NFL Supplemental Draft will take place this Thursday, and former Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon - widely considered an early- to mid-round selection for the event - will be holding a pro day this afternoon to try to cement that status. Per ESPN's James Walker, the Buffalo Bills will be in attendance for the workout.
It's fairly well-established at this point that the Bills like big receivers with speed, and that's exactly what Gordon is: a 6'3", 220-pound guy that can reportedly run a sub-4.4 in the 40-yard dash.
Here's the thing, though: Gordon hasn't played football since 2010, where as a sophomore at Baylor he caught 42 passes for 714 yards and seven touchdowns. He missed the 2011 season after transferring from Baylor to Utah, and would have been eligible to suit up for the Utes this fall. Per SI's Tony Pauline, however, Gordon elected to enter the supplemental draft instead of continue his college career for financial reasons.
Gordon transferred from Baylor to Utah after a suspension for a marijuana arrest; he was later dismissed from the team in August 2011 before landing with Kyle Whittingham in Utah.
There's no question that Gordon possesses unique athletic talents, and he put up a year of okay film as a sophomore while at Baylor. A year out of football, off-field issues and his reasoning for jumping to the league would seem to make him a bit of a draft-day risk, but early reports indicate that Gordon could go as early as the second round, and may not last beyond the fourth.
Any team selecting Gordon in the supplemental draft would surrender the pick used to take him in next year's draft. The Bills may like Gordon's raw athleticism after seeing him in action this afternoon, but it seems unlikely that a conservative GM like Buddy Nix would jump into the fray as early as it will reportedly require to nab Gordon. Don't expect the Bills to like a talent as raw and risky as Gordon enough to sacrifice a quality pick to secure his rights - particularly when the team already has young, talented receivers in the mix.