Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
The 2016 CFL Draft gave us lots to chew on last week. For instance, Saskatchewan didn’t trade the first overall pick while Laval saw three offensive linemen selected in the first round. CFL.ca’s Justin Dunk was the man to follow on draft day and I caught up with him earlier this week for another MMQB mini round table. There certainly was enough to talk about to warrant it!
Is the best still to come from Josiah St. John?
The Riders selected St. John number one overall out of Oklahoma, but there’s still a lot we don’t know about the offensive lineman. St. John has all the markings of a late bloomer, so there’s a decent chance he doesn’t truly come into his own until he’s well into his pro career.
Dunk: It’s definitely possible that he hasn’t reached his full potential. He was a guy that really put in a lot of work to get to Oklahoma. He went to two different junior colleges; he actually paid his way through the first junior college. This guy has really kind of taken a tougher path to get there and shown that he’s really wanted to play football and that’s all he wants. If he can put that same kind of mindset and work ethic into developing into his full potential, I think it’s entirely possible that we’ve yet to see the best of Josiah St. John.
MMQB: We talked about this going into the National Scouting Combine in March where St. John was one of the big stories. There’s no question the Toronto product has all the raw tools to make an impact in the CFL. The only question is whether or not all those tools come together into the full package. That’s what Saskatchewan’s coaching staff is going to try and draw out.
As a tackle, St. John has the ability to play one of the most crucial positions in the sport. It’s unlikely he’ll be able to make a big impact for the Riders in 2016, but if all the pieces keep coming together, the potential for this player is enormous. Sure, Laval’s Charles Vaillancourt, for instance, is more ready to step into pro football right away, but right now isn’t necessarily the play for St. John. The number one overall pick is more of a project, but the work put in could solidify Saskatchewan’s offensive line for years to come.
How much of a steal was Charles Vaillancourt at #5?
After a trade with Hamilton, the BC Lions selected Laval’s Vaillancourt in the number five slot and made him the fourth offensive lineman taken in the draft. Many wonder if they might have carried out the biggest heist of the first round.
Dunk: [BC General Manager] Wally Buono must have had a smile on his face when that happened. Scouts view Vaillancourt as one of the most pro-ready offensive lineman. If you look at his size, and I know it’s just testing numbers, but he went to the combine at about 330 pounds and he was running around with guys that were 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-6 and just 300 pounds. He’s right there athletically with any of the other offensive lineman in this draft and he has a body, you could argue, that is ready to compete more quickly in the CFL.
MMQB: Depending on who you were talking to, many had Vaillancourt going number one overall. With so many offensive linemen at the top of the draft, someone had to fall into the middle of the first round, and it just happened to be him. I’m with JD here, because if I’m Wally Buono, I’m pretty happy with the way things played out.
Because Vaillancourt seems physically ready to play significant pro minutes right now, the Lions have made their team better in the immediacy. But being ready now doesn’t mean Vaillancourt’s ceiling is lower than the guys taken in front of him.
Vaillancourt looks like he’ll be able to play in this league at a high level for a long time and the Lions gets two bonuses with him. First, they’ll likely start to feel Vaillancourt’s impact sooner than other circumstances. And second, the Lions were able to move down, improve their stock in the third round, and still get the guy they wanted. That seems like a pretty good deal to me.
» Related: A team by team look at the draft
Can Brian Jones make an impact right away in Toronto?
The Argos took the first receiver of the 2016 draft as they selected Acadia’s Jones with the number four pick. After a stellar showing at the combine, there’s a feeling Jones might be able to step in right away this season.
Dunk: It depends how well his wrist injury heals. He suffered a broken scaphoid, which you heard some buzz that might cause him to fall in the draft; it’s a bit of a finicky injury and timelines vary. He didn’t fall, he goes to Toronto, and they get a guy that could really develop into a big time Canadian receiving star in this league. For so many years, Andy Fantuz has torched the Argos and they get a guy that is sort of a new age Fantuz that I’m kind of calling him that could do the same back to the Ticats.
MMQB: JD’s comparison of Jones to Fantuz is rather eerie and is definitely bang on. Both receivers are big, strong, physical players who carry the added benefit of being Canadian. If Jones turns into anything close to what Fantuz has been throughout his career, Toronto will be thrilled with the pick.
I really think Jones can be a true weapon for the Argos in 2016. As it stands right now, Toronto isn’t stacked with depth at receiver, so that definitely works in his favour. With Ricky Ray throwing him the ball and with his size, don’t be surprised at all to see a healthy Jones factored in significantly to Toronto’s offence this season.
Did the Eskimos reach taking Tevaun Smith in the first round?
The defending Grey Cup champs took Iowa’s Smith with their first pick of the draft at number eight. The dynamic receiver is already under contract to the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts so won’t be available to the Eskimos until (at the earliest) August when cuts are made south of the border. With no guarantee of ever seeing Smith in green and gold, Edmonton certainly took a risk with the first pick.
Dunk: In terms of potential, if Tevaun Smith didn’t have any NFL opportunities, he could have been the number one or two guy drafted in this draft and teams would have been clamoring to get up the draft board. I’m sure [Edmonton GM] Ed Hervey has done his background research and has an idea of how long Smith might be in the NFL. They probably feel pretty good about their Canadian depth. If you look at their positions, the seven of them where they’re planning to start Canadians, they have two or three guys deep in each spot. They probably felt it was worth the roll of the dice on Tevaun Smith.
MMQB: The Eskimos went very high risk, high reward with their first two picks of the 2016 draft. After taking Smith, Edmonton selected DB Arjen Colquhoun out of Michigan State with its second pick; Colquhoun also has an NFL contract with the Dallas Cowboys. If both guys make it through cuts in August, there’s a very real chance the Esks won’t have anything to show for the first two rounds of a deep draft.
However, if even one of these guys makes his way north of the border, Edmonton will be laughing. Both Smith and Colquhoun are top five talents and potential ratio busters, so this risk could end up paying off huge. I wouldn’t have gone down this road myself, but I certainly respect the fortitude it took for Edmonton to travel this path.
» Hervey: Top picks ‘a chance we’re willing to take’
How will Alex Singleton’s NFL experience benefit him in Calgary?
The first pick for the Stampeders was one with a very different path to get to the CFL. A Montana State linebacker, Singleton only recently got his Canadian citizenship by virtue of his mother being from Toronto. After getting passed over in the 2015 NFL Draft, Singleton spent time with three NFL teams last year so a professional training camp won’t be anything new for him.
Dunk: He’s been training down in California with the likes of [Green Bay linebacker] Clay Matthews and [Denver linebacker] Von Miller, so you know he’s around it, talking it everyday. He was actually on the Ottawa REDBLACKS’ negotiation list as an American before he got his Canadian citizenship. Ottawa was telling Singleton that the team viewed him as an American starter as a linebacker, so Calgary is getting a guy that was viewed as an import starter in the CFL who just now happens to have a Canadian passport.
He’s been around the NFL game for a year now. He was with Minnesota to end the season and he’s fully ready to play football. In the hours leading up to the draft, he actually got a last minute offer from the [New England] Patriots. I think he’s ready to come to Calgary and roll out for training camp.
MMQB: Singleton’s story is fascinating, but it’s his on-field impact that could truly be felt immediately. Singleton went to training camp with the Seattle Seahawks last year and suited up in preseason action with them before being cut loose and landing on New England’s practice squad and eventually finishing the year with the Vikings.
A professional training camp can be a true eye-opener for some, but there’s no way that’ll be the case with Singleton. There’s a reason Calgary made him the first defensive player selected and I will be slightly surprised if he’s not getting significant reps at linebacker at some point this coming season.
