May 12, 2014

5 things you need to know heading into the Draft

Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca

CFL.ca Staff
#CFLDraft

TORONTO – As Tuesday nears, CFL.ca equips you with every stat, trend and fact you need to know heading into the 2014 CFL Draft.

1) PRIORITY DRAFT ORDER
1. Ottawa  2. Winnipeg  3. Edmonton  4. Montreal  5. BC  6. Toronto  7. Calgary  8. Hamilton  9.  Saskatchewan

Every team will have a chance – barring trade – to draft in the first round for the first time since 1996. Since then, either a trade or a defer to the Supplemental Draft.

Last year, the CFL Draft expanded to seven rounds from six with the addition of a ninth team.

For a complete list of the 2014 Draft Selection Order, visit the CFL.ca Draft Tracker.

2) OTTAWA TO MAKE THEIR MARK
After drafting Redshirt Juniors in the first four rounds of last year’s Draft, the spotlight will be on GM Marcel Desjardins and the Ottawa REDBLACKS who hold the first pick in the priority order and are unlikely to stray.  The expansion franchise is in need of as much Canadian depth as possible and unless they can get a non-import in return are unlikely to take risks on any picks.

Speaking of risks, don’t expect highly-touted McGill offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif to go first overall in the Nation’s Capital.  Recently drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs, the REDBLACKS would shock everyone if they risked the pick with the most leverage on a player they may not see for some time (or at all).  The attention then falls on linemen David Foucault, Pierre Lavertu and Matthias Goossen, defensive back Antoine Pruneau.

For more on Ottawa’s approach on the Draft, click here.

3) WHOSE STOCK IS RISING AND WHO’S FALLING?
The final edition of the CFL Scouting Bureau for this draft class was released on April 22nd but a lot has changed since then.  Duvernay-Tardif’s (1) signing in the NFL changes the dynamic of the first round as Quinn Smith (4), who jumped up the rankings after the Combine, could fall after the Concordia product tested positive for a banned substance.

To view the most recent version of the Scouting Bureau, click here.

 4) RECENT DRAFT TRENDS
– Over the past 14 years, 63% of draft selections have come from CIS schools.
– Barring trade, this will be the first year that every team will select in the first round since 1996.
– In 2009, 79% of draft picks were from Canadian universities, the largest margin of the last 14 years.
– In 2013, 73% of draft picks were from Canadian universities, second largest margin in the last 14 years.
– In 2012, 47% of draft picks came from NCAA schools, the highest percentage in 14 years (this includes four draft picks from Simon Fraser University which now competes in the NCAA).
– Laval has had the most players drafted in the past 14 years (33), accounting for 4.7%, followed closely by Saint Mary’s (32 players – 4.6%), Calgary (31 players – 4.4%) and Western (30 players – 4.3%).
– Eastern Michigan has the largest percentage of draft selections from a school south of the border in the past 14 years (8 players – 1.1%).
– U. of Calgary has the most first round selections in the first round of the CFL draft since 2000 with 9.
– U. of Calgary has had at least one prospect selected in the first round in three straight drafts.
– U. of Calgary had three first round selections in the 2013 CFL draft, most ever.
– Offensive linemen have accounted for 24% of the picks since 2000, with receivers following with 19%.
– 15 Offensive linemen drafted in the 2013 draft was the most since 2003 (15).
– 13 Defensive linemen drafted in the 2013 draft was the highest in the past 14 drafts.

5) TRADES THAT IMPACT THE 2014 CFL DRAFT

First Round
 
8th Overall – Saskatchewan Roughriders via Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 
Saskatchewan acquired Hamilton’s first round pick (8th overall) along with Josh Bartel and Shomari Williams in exchange for Saskatchewan’s first (Winnipeg’s original) and second round pick (9th overall and 11th the overall).

Saskatchewan originally acquired 11th overall pick from Winnipeg along with Alex Hall in exchange for Patrick Neufeld and Saskatchewan’s fourth round pick in 2015.

9th Overall –Hamilton Tiger-Cats via Saskatchewan Roughriders
 
Hamilton acquired Saskatchewan’s first round pick (9th overall) and (Winnipeg’s original) second round pick (11th overall) in exchange for Josh Bartel, Shomari Williams and Saskatchewan’s first round pick (8th overall).

Saskatchewan originally acquired 11th overall pick from Winnipeg along with Alex Hall in exchange for Patrick Neufeld and Saskatchewan’s fourth round pick in 2015.
 
Second Round
 
11th Overall – Hamilton Tiger-Cats via Saskatchewan Roughriders via Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 
Hamilton acquired Saskatchewan’s first round pick (9th overall) and (Winnipeg’s original) second round pick (11th overall) in exchange for Josh Bartel, Shomari Williams and Saskatchewan’s first round pick (8th overall).

Saskatchewan originally acquired 11th overall pick from Winnipeg along with Alex Hall in exchange for Patrick Neufeld and Saskatchewan’s fourth round pick in 2015.
 
12th Overall – BC Lions via Edmonton Eskimos
 
BC acquired Edmonton’s second round pick (12th overall) in exchange for Mike Reilly.

Third Round
 
19th Overall – Calgary Stampeders via Ottawa REDBLACKS

Calgary acquired Ottawa’s third round pick (19th overall) along with Ottawa’s third round pick in 2015 in exchange for Justin Phillips and Calgary’s third round pick (23rd overall).

23rd Overall – Ottawa REDBLACKS via Calgary Stampeders via BC
Lions

Ottawa acquired Calgary’s (BC’s original) third round pick (23rd overall) along with Justin Phillips in exchange for Ottawa’s third round pick (19th overall) in 2014 and Ottawa’s third round pick in 2015.

Calgary originally acquired BC’s third round pick (23rd overall) in exchange for Steve Myddleton.

24th Overall – Calgary Stampeders via Winnipeg Blue Bombers via Toronto Argonauts
 
Calgary acquired Winnipeg’s (Toronto’s original) third round pick (24th overall) in exchange for Chris Randle and Calgary’s (Hamilton’s original) 3rd round pick (26th overall).

Winnipeg originally acquired Toronto’s third round pick (24th overall) along with Marc Parenteau in exchange for Anthony Woodson and Winnipeg’s fifth round pick (38th overall).

26th Overall – Winnipeg Blue Bombers via Calgary Stampeders via Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Winnipeg acquired Calgary’s (Hamilton’s original) third round pick (26th overall) along with Chris Randle in exchange for Winnipeg’s (Toronto’s original) third round pick (24th overall).

Calgary originally acquired Hamilton’s third round pick (26th overall) in exchange for Geoff Tisdale and Calgary’s sixth round pick (52nd overall).

27th Overall – BC Lions via Saskatchewan Roughriders

BC Lions acquired Saskatchewan’s third round pick (27th overall) in exchange for Geroy Simon.

Fourth Round
 
35th Overall – Montreal Alouettes via Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 
Montreal acquired Hamilton’s fourth round pick (35th overall) in exchange for Dahrran Diedrick.

36th Overall – Toronto Argonauts via Saskatchewan Roughriders
 
Toronto acquired Saskatchewan’s fourth round pick (36th overall) in exchange for Chris Patrick.

Fifth Round
 
38th Overall – Toronto Argonauts via Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 
Toronto acquired Winnipeg’s fifth round pick (38th overall) along with Anthony Woodson in exchange for Marc Parenteau and Toronto’s third round pick (24th overall).

39th Overall – Saskatchewan Roughriders via Edmonton Eskimos
 
Saskatchewan acquired Edmonton’s fifth round pick (39th overall) in exchange for Hugh Charles.

40th Overall – Calgary Stampeders via Montreal Alouettes

Calgary acquired Montreal’s fifth round pick (40th overall) in exchange for Larry Taylor and Calgary’s fifth round pick (43rd overall).

43rd Overall – Montreal Alouettes via Calgary Stampeders

Montreal acquired Calgary’s fifth round pick (43rd overall) along with Larry Taylor in exchange for Montreal’s fifth round pick (40th overall) in 2014.
 
Sixth Round
 
52nd Overall – Hamilton Tiger-Cats via Calgary Stampeders
 
Hamilton acquired Calgary’s sixth round pick (52nd overall) along with Geoff Tisdale in exchange for Hamilton’s third round pick (26th overall).