Arthur Ward/CFL.ca
TORONTO — The BC Lions may have turned a few heads when they picked Ese Mrabure fifth overall in the the 2015 CFL Draft. Wherever Kwaku Boateng ends up getting drafted, no one should be surprised.
The two Laurier Golden Hawks pass rushers will forever be linked as Boateng looks to follow in the foot steps of his former teammate and first round pick. Yet while there are similarities, there are also some pretty significant differences.
MORE ON THE CFL COMBINE
» Leaderboard | Full results
» Ferguson: Speed-size combo crucial for receivers
» Stock Assessment: Who’s trending where in the trenches?
» Combine Rewind: Watch it in its entirety
“Ese Mrabure was an absolute monster for Laurier on the defensive line. So was Kwaku Boateng this past season, but they got it done in very different ways,” said CFL.ca’s Marshall Ferguson.
“Ese had a reckless abandon that had to be tamed into a responsible defensive end who could play both the run and pass. The much shorter in stature Kwaku naturally developed a patience to his game over the last four years which allowed his explosive lower body strength to eventually take centre stage as he chased OUA passers around and batted down numerous passes.”
Despite being a high draft pick, Mrabure’s tenure with the Lions was short. He was released by the team after being reportedly being beaten out by Maxx Forde, a seventh round draft pick the same year as Mrabure, after just one season in Vancouver. Mrabure will battle for playing time on Chris Jones’ defence after the 24-year-old made 14 starts last season for the Riders.
While Mrabure was picked for his upside, the scouts might see a similar future for Boateng. The 6-foot, 233-pound rush end racked up 20.5 sacks over four seasons with Laurier, including a career-high 6.5 last season, to go with four forced fumbles.
Boateng made good on the hype at the CFL Combine presented by adidas last month, posting a stellar 4.28-second shuttle time — one of the best ever for a defensive lineman — and an equally-impressive 33.5-inch vertical.
For Ferguson, physical dominance is what stands out most about Boateng, who could find himself in a role as a situational pass rusher with a CFL team from the outset.
“What was interesting about him is I thought he set up himself really wide — he was almost playing a nine technique where he just wants to be a pure edge guy,” said Ferguson. “It would be really unique if he cracked a roster and was in a rotation spot early in his career based on his height, but his lower body explosion is elite. It’s special.”
After similar CIS careers and strong performances at the combine, Boateng now looks to follow the path of Mrabure.
“Both had the ability at the OUA level to disrupt and destroy an offensive game plan,” said Ferguson. “Ese has made the jump, will Kwaku follow suit?”
MORE PROSPECT COMPARISONS
» Tunde Adeleke
» Johnny Augustine
» Nate Behar
