May 7, 2017

Eskimos select top-ranked prospect Justin Senior in fifth round

Mississippi State Athletics

TORONTO — The Edmonton Eskimos have added the 2017 CFL Draft’s top-ranked prospect, selecting Mississippi State offensive lineman Justin Senior in the fifth round.

Senior topped each of the three CFL Scouting Bureau rankings dating back to September, including the final edition in April. However, his value likely plummeted across draft boards after he was taken in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks.

The Eskimos took Senior with the first of back to back picks at 40th overall.

A native of Montreal, Que., Senior was the Bulldogs’ regular starting right tackle, missing just one start over three seasons. Should he ever venture north of the border, the 6-foot-5, 331-pound offensive lineman projects as a potential tackle at the next level.

“Justin Senior is a guy who’s played a lot of tackle at the Division I level,” TSN’s Duane Forde, a former CFL player and now CFL Draft insider, said before the draft. “We know with Canadian guys in the past that hasn’t necessarily translated to being able to play tackle up here but with the hope that he might be a guy who can play tackle, if you can plug a Canadian in that spot, that has added value.”