Mississippi State Athletics
We are a week out from the CFL Draft and still stocks continue to rise and fall. You know that the Draft is near because we just finished watching the NFL Draft take place down south which does indeed impact the selection process north of the border.
A number of late-round selections and free agent signings will alter where prospects are chosen next Sunday, so let’s take a look at how it all could shake down:
Justin Senior (Drafted by Seattle Seahawks): As the only CFL draft prospect drafted, Senior is least likely to see a CFL uniform anytime soon. Senior was drafted 210th overall by the Seahawks, whose offensive tackle situation is relatively thin. A good thing for Senior, a bad thing for the CFL and his draft stock.
I don’t expect to hear the CFL Scouting Bureau’s top ranked prospect until the back half of the draft on Sunday.
Eli Ankou (Signed with Houston Texans): Ankou is discussed in some NFL circles as a steal of a priority undrafted free agent. At 331 pounds with good movement, he would be a CFL defensive coordinator’s dream which is why I believe despite his recent signing with the Houston Texans, Eli could still be taken in the first half of Sunday’s draft — perhaps as high as the second or third round.
For comparison, Ankou joins Canadian Christian Covington who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft and subsequently the fifth round of the CFL draft by the BC Lions.
Antony Auclair (Signed with Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Auclair was a fringe draft pick who went unselected in the NFL draft but was quickly picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a priority free agent. the Buccaneers did draft a tight end over the weekend. Their first round selection was highly regarded Alabama big man O.J. Howard who is the future for Tampa Bay at the tight end position.
Factor that with Auclair joining a tight end group six deep as of today and you get a player who is likely to stick based on talent but could be here in a year or two. I believe he is worth the risk by the third round of the CFL draft.
RELATED
> Full CFL Draft Selection Order
> CFL’s Final Central Scouting Bureau Rankings
> Pro Day’s add to the CFL Draft puzzle
> More from Marshall Ferguson on the CFL Draft
Geoff Gray (Signed with Green Bay Packers): It’s easy to see now how great a fit Gray is for the Packers and clearly how much they wanted him. The Packers attended Gray’s pro day in Winnipeg and had him to Wisconsin for a visit before picking him up quickly after the draft. In my last mock draft I had Gray going first overall to the hometown Bombers. While I still believe he is worthy of that pick, it’s a risk teams will have to live with which could mean he slides to the second round or further.
Faith Ekakitie: As of now, Ekakitie remains unsigned to a free agent deal after going undrafted. With solid pro day numbers backing him, Faith should reach into the top 15, maybe even 10 of the CFL draft Sunday.
Cameron Judge: After becoming CFL draft eligible this past week, Judge has gone undrafted and unsigned in the NFL. His pro day numbers at UCLA were out of this world compared to his contemporaries in what is a relatively weak linebacker class. Judge is a mystery man as a late add. I, like all CFL teams, will need to really vet his game film and on-field production to get a better sense of draft stock this week.
Christophe Mulumba (Signed with Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Mulumba joins Auclair as a Tampa Bay signee albeit not as a priority undrafted free agent like the Laval tight end. Mulumba is in the same boat as fellow linebacker Jordan Herdman. Both guys trying to make it over the first NFL hurdle of mini camp with prospects of being solid, sustainable CFL players in a year or two.
Expect Mulumba gone in the first three rounds Sunday.
Jordan Herdman (Invited to Kansas City Chiefs Mini-Camp): Herdman had a terrible draft process. Since the Senior Bowl, where he stood out for his on-field accolades and showed why he was a nationally recognized standout at Simon Fraser, Herdman struggled with poor testing numbers and declining perception.
I’m not sure any of that matters when you actually watch him play football. The Kansas City Chiefs agreed by signing him to a rookie mini camp invitation, making Herdman one of the most interesting CFL draft evaluations. I can’t get a true read on him, but hope that football people see a football player worthy of a selection in he front half of Sunday’s draft.
