It's going to be a weird draft. The Brown twins, Bergeron, Robinson and Sow could all be drafted in the NFL. We may see teams reach for players because of this. They say it's a very deep defensive line and secondary class.
OTT- Lake Korte- Moore (DE): He didn't run the fastest forty, but this guy seems to have all the pass rush moves to be at least a rotational defensive at the next level. The Redblack"s have a chance to start a Canadian at one defensive end spot with Kene Onyeka and Deshawn Stevens. Korte Moore is also from the Ottawa area.
EDM- Jake Taylor (ATH): He is considered Mr. Versatile. Has the size to play WLB and the speed to play SLB. Can also play safety or defensive halfback. Good depth behind Konar at WLB, Makonzo at SLB and Hutter at safety. Just don't think he will be there in the second round and is an Alberta boy.
SASK- Phillip Grohovac (G): The biggest weakness was the Rider's O line last year. Maybe he can take Evan Johnson's starting job at right guard? The Rider's seem to be a run first team and Grohovac did a lot of that at Western.
CAL- Anthony Bennett (DE): They start Wiggans at defensive tackle and rotate Adeyemi-Berglund heavily at defensive end. Like John Hodge said, both are free agents after the season.
MON- Donate Bull (G/T): Played tackle in college and may or may not have the feet to do it the CFL. The Al's right side of Matte and Rice are old and the future may be soon rather than later.
HAM- Siriman Harrison Bagayogo (CB): The Ti-Cat's seem to be lacking in depth in the secondary. Bagayogo would be a perfect backup at cornerback and cut his teeth on special teams.
MON- Michael Brodrique (LB): The Al's do have the depth to go Canadian at WLB, but could also use a backup to Avery Ellis at MLB. Plus the Al's scouting staff has seen him play throughout his university career.
WIN- Francis Bemi (DE): I don't think the Bomber's have a Canadian defensive end on their roster. Jefferson and Jeffcoat could use a break once in a while.
BC- James Peter (LB): The lion's will probably go Lokombo at WLB and Hladik at MLB. Ryder Varga and Jordan Herdman- Reed also provide depth.
OTT- Johnathon Sutherland (SLB/S): Ottawa area boy and can fill in the Antoine Pruneau role.
SASK- Reese Martin (DT): The Rider's are building through the trenches this draft.
OTT- Cole Tucker (WR): The Redblack's need to get better at reciever and they need depth.
MON- Lucas Cormier (ATH): Another one of those versatile players, who can backup Dequoy or at SLB.
BC- Clark Barnes (WR): They have Cottoy at SB, but really no Canadian WRs.
WIN- Edouard Paradis (G): Neufeld, Bryant and Hardwick are all getting older. I think Gray is a better tackle than guard which could open a spot up in the future. With Dobson and Eli also as depth, the Bomber's are deep.
TOR- Jared Wayne (WR): I do think Wayne will get an NFL shot and think the Argo's can wait for hi.
This class isn’t deep in Olinemen. You’re more likely to see alot of defensive linemen and defensive backs. The two top centres aren’t even at the combine.
Which is why they will be drafter even higher than usual. DL are in abondance this year especially when you factor in the International prospects there 3 or 4 excellent yound DL prospects and they are younger than the Usports or NCAA guys. You will be able to find DL into the fourth and fifth round.
I doubt Oline are going to drafted higher than usual. In fact the past couple of years they haven’t been drafted as much.
2020: 1st round= 4, 2nd round= 0
2021: 1st round= 2, 2nd round=3 (Cole Nelson was a DL in college, but has been converted to OL, so you could include him)
2022: 1st round= 2, 2nd round= 4
So we could definitely see only 3 offensive linemen drafted, in the first two rounds. Who knows though, every team has their own big board.
So we have 4,5,6, increasing every year and you think only 2 or possibly 3 will be drafted this year and that’s fine. I doubt that very much, it is the key position for any CFL team. I think there will be at least 4 and possibly as many as 6.
3 of the top O-Line prospects this year from NCAA ball (Sow, Bergeron, Bull) are likely NFL bound - which might scare off CFL teams from drafting them at all, let alone in the first couple of rounds; and at least 3 of the top U Sports O-line prospects who could have been in this draft (2 guys from UBC and Beamer (Western)) have deferred till next year's draft (i think the same for a couple of other NCAA ball Canuck O-linemen (?)
So, this lack of plenty of top O-line prospects this draft, plus some good talent at other spots - DBs in particular and defensive guys overall, could mean we see only a couple of O-linemen taken 1st two rounds CFL draft. CFL GMs and scouts have to fight against their trained myopia? - could be a tough battle and we see some O-linemen drafted anyways early - guys who would have been mid to late round picks otherwise ?
Of the 3 only Bergeron will be drafted. The other two are just like any other Olinesman. They will go to a camp get a coffee cup and eventually end up in the CFL. Lestage was a great pick in the second round two years ago, ended up starting in his first season last year and playing well. I can see Montreal using one of their two first rounder on Sow. Ottawa has 3 picks in the top 12, BC will at least be looking at him. Grohovac has first round written all over him, that’s four right there without trying very hard, then you have Edouard Paradis a 320 pound tackle who worked his way up the NCAA, he is impossible to ignore. I see five or six then the rest are projects.
Oh, I think a few CFL teams may have learned lessons of drafting O-linemen early just for the sake of it or for cliched CFL depth. Paradis is hardly an all-star O-linemen from a big US college ball program. The Riders got burnt using a top pick on J. St-John a few years back - he was not a proven starter; the Argos have suffered similar fates with NCAA O-linemen picks who were not that good or did not pan-out in the CFL. Sow is another story as he is a repeat Conference all-star in Div I ball, and he might be a 1st rounder in the CFL; but if he draws even decent NFL interest, it might keep CFL teams from drafting him early.
Top notch, repeat all-star U Sports O-linemen have often panned out way better in the CFL than average joes who were favored by CFL draft thinkers cause they were on an NCAA ball roster. Grohovac (Western) is the main guy with that kind of resume for this draft; Benedet (UBC, Metras winner / got to go to the US Shrine game) has deferred to next draft.
I don’t disagree. I think Grohovac will be the first OL drafted, possibly at #1 overall by Ottawa. ST-John is an outlier. I have Paradis listed as the sixth guy at the position. I don’t see this as a weak draft class. It is unusual because, almost all the to prospects come from Quebec, so I think teams make this judgement because there are only a couple prospects this year out of Western Canada, so there is a bit of blinders because of this. As all teams have always looked out West for most of their blue chip OL prospects.
A slight increase, but each draft should be based on it’s own merit. Their just isn’t the quality here, where a team can say lets pick an Olinemen, because we need an Olineman. If you have a guy rated as a third rounder, why would you take him in the second or first?
The thing about drafts too, is you can look back and say that person should’ve gone higher. In 2008: Matt Black, Luc Brodeaur Jordain and Pierre Luc Labbe all went in the seventh round. All three of those guys started games in the CFL.
Hard to say, and the CFL draft always features surprises or downright whacky-ness.
I tend to agree that this year we may see less O-linemen drafted early; and not so great Combine test #s (particularly bench for O-linemen) can maybe see some guys fall in rankings.
But there is still a number of all-star or maybe previously under-rated U Sports O-linemen up in this class: Floren & Vandal (3 straight years a Q all-star OT) were both 2nd team all-Canadians last season; Dayton Black was a CanWest all-star last season; Spencer Masterson has been a 2nd team OUA all-star; and Theo Grant & Marcoux drew some nice reviews from the Combine actual football drills. A number of these guys could jump way up for a specific team and get picked early - like with Pelehos last year's draft. And smart scouts might be going a lot more with viewing actual game play/film rather than writing guys off because their bench # was not real high, or they lost a few one-on-ones in Combine drills that favor the D guys looking good.
I think in rounds 1 and 2 you will see 4 to 6 OL, 3 to 5 DL, and the rest will be the best prospects at their position. DB, Receiver, LB. Just a function of how teams build their rosters.
Ok, maybe. But I’ll wager the only way we see at least 4 O-linemen taken in the first 2 rounds this year is if it includes 2 of the NCAA guys (Bergeron, Sow, Bull) who will all likely draw some NFL interest (Bergeron for sure); and CFL teams will know this by CFL draft time - meaning they lay off if the guy has NFL (or even USFL) interest/shots.
Most CFL teams now are very stocked in National O-line starters + depth, so no big need to use an early draft pick on O-linemen who are not considered real blue chippers. The Ticats are a bit light there, so they may want to go O-line picks first/early, but they only have the one pick (#6) in the first 2 rounds.
Cause Saskatchewan had a hell of an offensive line last season… or Ottawa they have Desjarlais and Saindon then Stewart and Ruby are over 30 years of age. They have three picks in the first two round at minimum they take one. They have practically no depth behind those guys. Edmonton has Foucault who will be 35 St-John is over 30. Besides Korte the rest are not exactly budding stars. I don’t see this flood of talent you see.
The Riders added vets Blake & Godber and last year’s draft pick Fry, to go with the vets they have with starter experience and new offensive coaches to sort things out.
Ottawa drafted H-Saindon & Pelehos last year and have added proven starter Desjarlais, plus ex-Argo draft pick Starczala to go with the older starters.
The Ticats and the Stamps are the 2 lightest in terms of Canadian O-linemen; if they see blue chip O-line prospects (who are these guys this year outside of the 3 NCAA guys & Grohovac maybe?) , they might go there 1st 2 rounds; the Ticats have only one pick there - #6; and the Stamps just one as well (#4). Neither could use a top pick on an average rated O-line prospect, but they both may have identified a guy they like who does not seem like a 1st rounder.
That’s my point, teams will have to reach, having fewer interesting candidates actually increases their chances of being drafted higher than they would be in a bounty crop. So while this class is definitely a Defensive Linesmen heavy there will be guys there all the way into the fourth round. There is a saying in the CFL, you never can have enough Canadian OL. A couple injuries in camp or retiring because they got that cop or firefighter job they’ve been working for years to get and your season is over before it has even begun. Look at a magic number of seven and you want competition at camp so ideally 8 or 9, one of those who you can send back to school, one on your PR and one or two futures in your organization.
And my point is why use a 1st or 2nd rounder on an O-linemen who is not really a blue chip stud, when you could still draft such a guy in the mid to later rounds? Which O-lineman are Ottawa or the Riders or the Elks going to draft early who will even make their PRs this coming season?
I think the point being made was that when there are fewer quality OL options, as each comes off the board teams that want an OL re-assess how long they can wait and still get an OL prospect they like.
We’re talking 1st two rounds though with not a real deep crop and no real blue chippers (except the risky NFL interest NCAA guys).
So there will be the usual decent crop of next year’s draftable O-linemen, augmented by a bunch of guys (U Sports & NCAA) who deferred from this year’s draft = can wait till then to use an early pick, unless you are desperate this year.
