Arthur Ward/CFL.ca
TORONTO — For a few of the country’s top-ranked receiver prospects, the hype going into the CFL Combine presented by adidas turned out to be perfectly warranted.
That’s if you ask CFL.ca’s Marshall Ferguson, at least, who says the three-headed receiving monster of Danny Vandervoort, Nate Behar and Mitchell Picton only solidified their standing as pro-ready prospects.
“Picton just feels like a well put together, 10-year type professional,” Ferguson said of the University of Regina product.
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Behar and Vandervoort, meanwhile, continue to battle it out as the top two receivers going into the draft. Ferguson says they’re 1-A and 1-B, although he gives the lengthy McMaster product the slight edge.
“They’re 1-A, 1-B and I have Vandervoort as 1-A because every time I want to give Vandervoort the upper hand, whether on special teams or personality or athletic ability or hands, you find yourself realizing that Behar has the exact same skill-set and is equally elite at what he does.”
Ferguson dropped his second installment of stock assessments on Monday, examining prospects’ draft stocks following regional and national combines.
While the ‘big three’ turned heads at receiver, defensive backs were equally impressive at the combine.
That was especially he case for Henderson State’s Dondre Wright, whose stock, according to Ferguson, simply couldn’t go any higher.
“He is what every team needs,” the CFL.ca draft analyst concluded. “Somebody draft him quickly or another team will be happy to.”
With the CFL Combine presented by adidas all wrapped up, CFL.ca’s Marshall Ferguson looks at who’s trending where heading towards the CFL Draft on May 7:
REC NATE BEHAR
CARLETON UNIVERSITY
STOCK: UP ⬆
Not that Nate Behar was ever that far down in stock but I still believe he helped himself a ton at the combine. By posting a great bench number, Behar showed his physical nature before running well in both speed and agility drills and backing it up with exceptional one-on-ones. The complete package.
REC MITCHELL PICTON
UNIVERSITY OF REGINA
STOCK: UP ⬆
Picton just feels like a well put together, 10-year type professional. Following in the footsteps of fellow Rams receivers including Chris Getzlaf and many more, he has a coolness about his age and route running that suggests he has a potential not yet understood by many, maybe even himself.
REC ALEX MORRISON
UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
STOCK: UP ⬆
The big man from Sault Ste. Marie and the UBC Thunderbirds football program ran exceptionally well for his size and backed it up on Saturday in Regina with a couple of great comeback routes to the sideline, displaying nimble feet and a great burst at the line of scrimmage.
REC MITCHELL HILLIS
UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN
STOCK: DOWN ⬇
Despite being invited – deservedly so – from the Western Regional Combine to the national combine, Mitchell Hills didn’t test all that well and stood out less than other receivers in the one-on-one drills. Not necessarily a case of anything he did wrong, just a bit lost in the glare coming from names like Behar, Picton and Vandervoort.
REC ADAM ADEBOBOYE
YORK UNIVERSITY
STOCK: DOWN ⬇
Adeboboye did absolutely nothing wrong in Regina. He performed admirably in all aspects of the weekend he could control. The one thing he can’t control is his size and it has me wondering if a team would have a difficult time drafting him due to the limited ability to compete for a secondary role on special teams.
REC JULAN LYNCH
UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN
STOCK: DOWN ⬇
Similar to his Huskies teammate Hillis, Lynch really didn’t do anything that screams he can’t play in the CFL during the national combine. However, the big bodied receivers he will naturally be compared to after Regina might leave him a little lost in the shuffle despite what I consider to be above average production and understanding of the game on film.
REC DANNY VANDERVOORT
McMASTER UNIVERSITY
STOCK: STABLE
He ran well, he won one-on-ones, he did everything you would be hoping for as a top flight receiver prospect. No movement here, just a guy who is ready to get after it in early June.
REC JONATHAN MACK
McGILL UNIVERSITY
STOCK: SLEEPER
Going into the Eastern Regional Combine I had my eyes set on two big bodied slotbacks from the AUS conference. Christian Ridley of St. FX and Mount Allison’s Dakota Brush both grabbed my attention with their game tape but McGill’s Jonathan Mack showed a heightened sense of route running and aggressive hands during the Eastern Regional that made him realistic a sleeper pick for me.
REC KYLE VAN WYNSBERGHE
CARLETON UNIVERSITY
STOCK: SUPER SLEEPER
Similar to York’s Adam Adeboboye, the only thing Carleton’s Kyle Van Wynsberghe is fighting is his size and perhaps a more finesse skill set compared to his contemporaries. Kyle is one of the five best route runners in the 2017 CFL Draft and if someone takes him May 7 we could see a Rob Bagg type of training camp where he just makes every defensive back look out in space without answers while Van Wynsberghe looks like he wrote the test.
DB JORDAN HOOVER
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
STOCK: UP ⬆
Hoover grabbed everyone’s attention at the national combine with his tall, athletic frame and great testing numbers. Now it’s time for everyone to go back and find out what the football player at Waterloo looks like.
DB TUNDE ADELEKE
CARLETON UNIVERSITY
STOCK: UP ⬆
When Adeleke stepped into the combine he was, to me, a returner with mediocre man coverage skills. He benched a number much larger than I thought he would and had the best combination of 40 time and understanding of route runners’ intentions than I had seen on film. His most recent film suggests he’s developed that improved concept of scheme recently which supports the idea he’ll continue to progress once drafted.
DB ROBERT WOODSON
UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY
STOCK: UP ⬆
Robert Woodson has never been far from the top of defensive back draft board rankings but his all around excellence in Regina was hard to ignore and should only make him more enticing for a team as early as the second round.
DB RICHARD GILLESPIE
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
STOCK: DOWN ⬇
Gillespie showed above average coverage skills in both his regional and national combine performances. I just wonder if his lacklustre testing numbers and comparatively smaller frame could hurt his draft positioning. Regardless of where he’s drafted, he has the ability to play.
DB JESSE McNAIR
WESTERN UNIVERSITY
STOCK: DOWN ⬇
McNair was a wildcard for me coming into the combines. The slashing free safety plays mostly high and safe at western, rarely being asked to play man coverage, and it showed during the Ontario Regional Combine as he was left spinning in the turf by many receivers. Factor in a relatively slow 40-yard dash and you get a dropping stock.
DB KEVIN MYRTHIL
Kevin Myrthil (right)
SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
STOCK: DOWN ⬇
DB DEVANTE SAMPSON
MOUNT ALLISON UNIVERSITY
STOCK: DOWN ⬇
I had hopes for these two AUS Conference defensive backs to pull a performance similar to St.FX defensive back Dylan Hollohan in 2012, wowing the scouts in attendance with low times and solid one-on-ones. That did not happen despite both of their game films being competitive. Perhaps a case of altered perception due to the level of AUS conference receiver play comparative to the CanWest or OUA.
DB DONDRE WRIGHT
HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY
STOCK: STABLE
He is what every team needs. Somebody draft him quickly or another team will be happy to.
DB ADAM LAURENSSE
UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY
STOCK: SLEEPER
Originally a Western Regional Combine invitee, Laurensse showed up to the national show and locked down several talented receivers from around Canada. He is a sleeper due to his challenging size for special teams work, but I believe he deserves a chance after his national combine.
DB AKEENO WILLIAMS
UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA
STOCK: SUPER SLEEPER
Akeeno Williams is to defensive backs as Ottawa Sooners Malcolm Carter is to receivers. Both are monsters with incredible potential and the frame to make every coach in the CFL drool.
The reason Akeeno is a super sleeper is he has only one season at defensive back under his belt at Manitoba. The Grimsby, Ont. native was asked by Bisons head coach Brian Dobie to make the switch and quickly became field corner learning the dynamics of the defensive schemes while trying to access his overwhelming natural gifts.
A question mark of a player with a lot to gain if he finds his way. Perhaps a developmental free agent signing after the draft.
