The NFL will hold a rare inseason supplemental draft Friday to determine the fate of former Florida State offensive lineman Milford Brown, a onetime starter for the Seminoles but a promising player the NCAA ruled ineligible for this season.

At least three teams are seriously considering investing a late-round choice on Brown, a starter at "split" guard in 12 games last season and projected as a starter in 2002 before the NCAA halted his college career. At 6 feet 4 and 316 pounds, Brown certainly has the size, not to mention athleticism, teams are seeking at guard.

But if a team selects Brown on Friday, it must forfeit its corresponding choice in the regular-phase 2003 draft, and some franchises will be reluctant to do so. Teams might gamble that Brown will go undrafted and can be signed as a free agent.

"But we're thinking about using a seventh-round pick on the guy," said one NFC team official. "We haven't finalized a decision yet."

The league held its usual supplemental draft -- characteristically for players who have dropped out of school or lost their eligibility -- in the summer. There were four prospects in that draft and none of them were selected. The consensus is that Brown is a superior player to the four who were in the summer supplemental draft.

Brown, 22, was forced to forfeit his senior year of eligibility at Florida State when the NCAA ruled that he had enrolled as a full-time student at Alabama State in 1997. College rules permit a player to use his four seasons of eligibility over a five-year period from the time he first enrolls. Brown argued that he was not a full-time student in '97, but the NCAA disagreed, ruling that he had expended his football eligibility.

An appeal of that ruling was rejected and Brown then applied to the NFL as a special needs case.

The massive guard has worked out for several teams and said he is confident that someone will take a chance on him.

"I definitely think I can play at the next level," Brown said. "My chances would be better had I been able to play (at Florida State) this year, but you have to go with the hand you're dealt. It's a dream for me to go to the NFL, but it's a dream that is coming earlier than I thought it would."

One scout told ESPN.com that he felt Brown might have projected as a third-round draft choice had he played in college this year and had a good season.

Brown played two seasons at East Mississippi Junior College before transferring to Florida State in 2001. He finished second on the team last year in so-called "pancake" blocks, with 45, and averaged a grade of 84 on assignment completion, according to Seminoles coaches. Brown was one of three offensive linemen to start every game.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.