The CFL Draft always has to fight for attention — and this year it’s even more of an uphill battle.
With two Canadian NHL teams (Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs) in the second round of the playoffs, one team (Calgary Flames) firing a coach on Monday, one squad (Winnipeg Jets) coming off a drama-filled stretch of season-ending press conferences and another outfit (Ottawa Senators) flirting with Ryan Reynolds and Snoop Dogg as potential owners, hockey is front and centre for a healthy chunk of the sport-fan public this week.
Combine that with the fact that the majority of top prospects for the CFL Draft are unlikely to be picked too high because they have NFL shots and you have an event that is unlikely to shift the balance of power in the league for years, if at all.
That said, Canadian talent is the lifeblood of all CFL teams — if you don’t have enough of it, Grey Cup hopes are slim and nil. Savvy picks on Tuesday night can go a long way toward strengthening a roster and adding critical depth for years to come.
Here’s a look at some of the storylines.
Southern Exposure
Seven of the eight top prospects on the CFL scouting bureau rankings were either taken in the NFL Draft last week or signed as undrafted free agents.
A record five Canadians — offensive linemen Matthew Bergeron (Atlanta Falcons) and Sidy Sow (New England Patriots), safety Sydney Brown (Philadelphia Eagles), his twin brother and running back Chase Brown (Cincinnati Bengals) and defensive lineman Tavius Robinson (Baltimore Ravens) — were taken in the NFL Draft. Not only that, all were taken in the first five rounds of the seven-round event.
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Later, receiver Jared Wayne (Houston Texans) and defensive lineman Jonathan Sutherland (Seattle Seahawks) signed as undrafted free agents.
That means it’s a definite risk to take any of those seven too high (especially the drafted players), though it wouldn’t be a shock to see teams take a flyer at some point.
Wayne was listed as the No. 1 pick on CFL.ca’s mock draft last week, but that could be a stretch now.
Two other potential high picks, receiver Cole Tucker (Minnesota Vikings) and defensive end Lwal Uguak (New York Giants), have received invitations to go to rookie mini-camp, 3 Down Nation reports.
Six-foot-seven, 320-pound offensive lineman Dontae Bull of Fresno State, ranked seventh, is the top player on the bureau rankings not with an NFL team.
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Teams with Options
The Ottawa Redblacks have the first overall pick and four of the first 17 selections.
Redblacks GM Shawn Burke told The Canadian Press on Monday he’s open to a trade if the right one presents itself.
“I think it gives you options and flexibility,” Burke said. “You have the ability at No. 1 to take the player you want if you keep that pick.
“We have a lot of flexibility to do whatever we want in the draft. But I always say it takes two parties to make a deal happen so we’ll see what comes to us and go from there.”
The Montreal Alouettes, meanwhile, are the only team with two first-round picks (Nos. 5 and 7) and also hold No. 13.
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The Als didn’t have a first-round pick for three consecutive drafts before the last one, so this is a good chance to add some potential high-end talent.
“We have a lot of flexibility,” head coach and GM Danny Maciocia told CP. “Of course, the phone is ringing because other teams would like to know our attitude toward the two first-round picks in particular. But for now, I think we’re going to keep our fifth, seventh and 13th-overall picks.”
Slim U Sports Pickings?
You have to go all the way down to No. 11 on the bureau rankings to find the top U Sports player — Montreal linebacker Michael Brodrique.
Maciocia will be very familiar with Brodrique from his time coaching the Carabins.
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Late Addition
3 Down Nation reports former Florida International defensive lineman Noah Curtis has been made eligible for the draft. The Florida native’s mother was born in Port Dover, Ont., making him a possible national player.
The website reports Curtis learned of his status while trying out for the Edmonton Elks last month.
Curtis didn’t play football in 2021 and suited up for lower-level Keiser University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., last year. 3 Down Nation projects him as a potential first-round pick.
Better Late than Never
Four of the last five players to win the top Canadian award in the CFL were not selected in the first round — including last year’s winner, second-round pick Nathan Rourke. The quarterback took the league by storm with the B.C. Lions and is now a Jacksonville Jaguar.
The exception is 2019 winner Henoc Muamba, a linebacker who went first overall way back in 2011.
Of the past five first-overall picks, just one can be classified as a star — new Toronto Argonauts linebacker Jordan Williams, who was picked in the top spot by B.C. in 2020.
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