Matt Smith/CFL.ca
TORONTO — The CFL Draft is just days away but the Montreal Alouettes, and the draft’s first overall pick, remain shrouded in mystery.
On the one hand, the Als have an obvious need on the interior offensive line, where it’s expected they’ll start three Canadians for the foreseeable future, although they do have the ratio flexibility to play an American at one of those three positions. Still, centre Luc Brodeur-Jourdain is 35 years old, while both guards Kristian Matte and Philip Blake are 32.
For that reason it was no surprise Marshall Ferguson had Montreal going O-line in his latest mock draft, with the team picking versatile combine star Dakoda Shepley first overall.
On the other hand, it’s hard to ignore the continued emergence of Central Michigan receiver Mark Chapman. Already considered a pro-ready prospect, Chapman was in a league of his own among pass-catchers in Winnipeg last month and is described by some as ‘an international player who happens to be Canadian.‘
Chapman was the top choice for the Als in the second mock draft by Justin Dunk of 3 Down Nation earlier this week.
Mark Chapman is being viewed as a can’t-miss prospect in next month’s CFL Draft (Jason Halstead/CFL.ca)
The Als aren’t pressed to take a receiver given their ratio flexibility as well as the emergence of George Johnson last season, but Chapman is an explosive weapon that could provide immediate help both on offence as a receiver and special teams as a returner.
“I still think they have to go lineman,” said Ferguson, CFL.ca’s top draft analyst. “I understand the lure of taking Chapman and I agree that if Montreal takes him he would add value. But to me Montreal, has bigger fish to fry when it comes to building their national depth.
“If you’re talking about trying to upgrade your roster, to me, upgrading your roster from a Johnson to a Chapman, it’s an upgrade but it’s not as big of an upgrade as you’re going to get from an offensive lineman you have now to a Ryan Hunter.”
The third option that will be discussed with far greater magnitude in the coming days involves a trade. The last time the first overall pick was traded was in 2014, when Calgary Stampeders acquired the top selection from expansion Ottawa to select Pierre Lavertu.
But if the Als are truly looking for an offensive lineman, a top-heavy draft class at that position may allow them to get an elite prospect later in the first round instead. Meanwhile, with the threat of the Ticats taking Chapman at No. 2, another team might just pay handsomely to jump the queue.
“Let’s say that scenario plays out where there’s interest in Chapman and a team wants to jump-frog the Ticats and go get a receiver,” said Ferguson. “You can never count out Saskatchewan or somebody . . . that would mean Montreal would be okay with the idea of taking an O-lineman later and I don’t think there’s that much of a drop off between Hunter and Shepley — they’re 1A and 1B with each other.
“If Montreal trades back . . . it is a really good offensive line draft.”
For now, it will be the Montreal Alouettes on the clock on May 3 at 8 p.m. ET. Stay tuned.
