May 1, 2018

Forde, Ferguson weigh in on the 2018 CFL Draft

Johany Jutras/CFL.ca

TORONTO — The hours are running out on the first pick in the 2018 CFL Draft.

With all nine teams set to take the podium with a first round pick, fans across the country are taking a strong interest in what goes down Thursday night when the clock strikes 8 p.m. ET.

Who will the Als take first overall? Could they trade the pick? What’s the biggest need in the draft?

MORE ON THE CFL DRAFT
» Mock Draft 3.0: A new first overall pick
» Could the Als trade the top pick?
» The latest on the CFL Draft

Two of the draft’s leading authorities in Duane Forde (TSN) and Marshall Ferguson (CFL.ca) offered their expertise on Tuesday, answering some of the most burning questions in a teleconference with reporters.

Here are some of the main points:

No obvious favourite for first overall

Two days out from the draft and there doesn’t appear to be any consensus top pick. Kavis Reed said the other day that there are still several possibilities, while Marshall Ferguson and Duane Forde each predict different outcomes for the number one selection. There’s also a chance the pick gets traded.

“I have Mark Chapman going first overall,” said Forde. “When you look at this draft class, Chapman ranks among the guys who will be ready to play the earliest, among the most pro-ready guys in it and therefore able to make the most immediate impact among players in this draft.”

“Mark Chapman has earned the right to be in that conversation,” said Ferguson. “I honestly think the Alouettes probably have a bigger hole to fill at receiver than they do at offensive line, but I’d go offensive line with it. I’d go Trey Rutherford just because I really do think his size, his strength and mobility and the way he’s been able to play a variety of positions at UConn, plus he’s decided to focus on the Canadian Football League reportedly — I think those things in combination give him the upper hand.

“There’s really no wrong pick for the Alouettes in that spot. They don’t have a pick again in the rest of the first or the second round, so whoever they take here they have to feel pretty strongly about.”

 

Pressure to trade the pick?

As with every draft year, there’s been plenty of talk about the possibility of the Alouettes trading the first overall pick. Ferguson and Forde can see both sides of the coin, but does the Als’ current situation — the pressure for Kavis Reed and the front office to win sooner, rather than later — complicate things?

“Given the situation that Montreal is in, and given the situation that Kavis Reed is in, we can talk about the building for the future out of this draft class,” said Forde. “But I think it becomes a real fine line depending on how the Alouettes think they’re going to do this year as to whether you’re drafting for somebody else. Like most of us, I want to see Kavis do well for a number of reasons and be successful there, but situationally there’s a certain immediacy, a sense of urgency, for Montreal.”

Ferguson says the Als wouldn’t deal the pick unless they’re getting immediate help — and even then it would have to be an aggressive offer.

“If Montreal for some reason wanted to move that pick, they need something back immediately that’s a starter,” said Ferguson. “That would make some sense to help themselves now. But you’re also giving up the idea of building a future out of this draft class because they don’t pick until 19, so you’re going 18 spots without a draft pick there so if you’re going to trade out, you’re not going to be involved at all in the first two rounds.”

Added Ferguson: “Is there a player you value out there high enough to get immediate value out of that you think can help you out now and is going to be a better player in four or five years from now than a player you’re going to develop? I think the Als would be wise to stay where they are and take either Trey Rutherford or Mark Chapman.”

Riders could make a splash

With all of that said, if any team is looking to make a strong push for the first overall pick, it could be the Riders, and it could be for Mark Chapman. With Chapman unlikely to fall any further than second overall, the Riders’ best hope at the Central Michigan receiver is to pull off a trade.

“The trades in the first round in terms of moving up, it’s not as much about a positional need as opposed to really wanting a particular player,” said Forde. “If you start looking at teams who have an interest in a receiver, where there’s not the same depth, and Mark Chapman stands out, you start talking about teams that have an interest and have a need for a Canadian receiver. Saskatchewan comes to mind, who doesn’t necessarily have a lot of depth at receiver right now. That would be a possibility.”

Projected first round pick Mark Chapman is in the spotlight going into Thursday (Jason Halstead/CFL.ca)

Stamps looking O-line?

The Stampeders have not had tremendous success drafting offensive linemen early, with recent first round picks Brander Craighead, Pierre Lavertu and Karl Lavoie all now out of the game. That could mean the O-line is a position of focus for John Hufnagel early in Thursday’s draft.

“I do think offensive line has to be considered a priority for the Stampeders given the way they’ve structured their roster,” said Forde. “This is a team that has done very well on the offensive line in terms developing guys like Brad Erdos and Shane Bergman — they’ve been very fortunate that some of those picks were later guys that panned out exceptionally well for them — but they’ve been hurt on the offensive line by some of these early retirements.”

Jackson Bennett might be the fastest-rising prospect

Trey Rutherford’s name has gotten plenty of press lately, but the prospect who’s gained the most over the last couple of months might be Ottawa defensive back Jackon Bennett. Both Ferguson and Forde see him as a potential first round pick, with Ferguson drawing a comparison to 2017 rookie Tunde Adeleke.

“To me, Jackson Bennett is that hybrid that can roll down into the box and become an off-the-edge blitzer from the free safety spot, get sideline to sideline, has pretty good hands and has return ability,” said Ferguson. “Between all the guys that signed NFL mini-camp deals, I think Jackson Bennett’s just going to slide closer and closer to the top of the draft. Coming out of the combine I’d be shocked if he’s not a first rounder.”

“Jackson Bennett really opened some eyes,” added Forde. “Explosive athlete, a guy who offers some versatility. When you’re talking about CFL defences and that multiplicity — the ability to move guys to different positions and do different things — Jackson Bennett is a guy who can fit into that mold. He can be more than just a special teams guy.”

Jackson Bennett’s versatility at the combine may help him rise across draft boards (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

Ottawa could be a landing spot for Julien Laurent

While Julien Laurent’s standing has dropping throughout the CFL Scouting Bureau rankings, the Georgia State defensive tackle should still find himself highly-valued in this week’s draft. He is widely considered the top-ranked defensive lineman in a draft that’s relatively weak at the position.

Forde says he could see a fit in the nation’s capital, where the REDBLACKS are trying to fill the void left by the departed Zack Evans.

“They’ve got some depth on the defensive line but if there’s an opportunity to grab a higher-end guy, possibly a Julien Laurent, that might be a guy they look at,” said Forde. “They’ve filled [the hole] with some veteran guys, Michael Klassen, Daryl Waud, since losing Zack Evans, but I think [there is some] uncertainty — Daryul Waud has an injury history, Connor Williams has an injury history.”

There’s no bigger need in the draft than O-line in BC

If you ask Marshall Ferguson, the biggest positional need for any team in the upcoming draft is for the BC Lions on the offensive line. Ferguson says new general manager Ed Hervey is likely to target that position with his top couple of picks, including the third overall pick of the draft.

“Offensive line has to be the thing they attack and shape up out there,” said Ferguson. “I’d be very surprised if the first two picks at three and 12 for the Lions aren’t offensive line, and a couple of developmental picks at the back of the draft as well. If you’re looking at one team and one positional group that’s going to focus in on trying to fix up this year, I would say Lions offensive line is the thing in this draft.”

The Lions’ O-line allowed the most sacks in the CFL last season. Hervey has since added American tackle Joel Figueroa to the fold, while re-signing Antonio Johnson and Hunter Steward, although former first round pick and free agent Kirby Fabien has not yet returned.

The draft’s biggest mystery is…

Whether for better or worse there’s a lot of buzz surrounding former Calgary receiver Rashaun Simonise going into the draft. He has NFL experience after working with the Cincinnati Bengals, but has been off for a while after having his eligibility deferred a year after testing positive for a banned substance.

Considered one of the most physically-dominant receivers in the draft, Simonise could go much earlier than expected — or things could go the other way and he could fall.

“My concern coming out of the combine was route-running because if you put him side by side on the game film, the book on him for me is he’s not the route runner that the other guys in the draft are, whether it’s Dan Petermann or Mark Chapman,” said Ferguson.

Rashaun Simonise is the boom-or-bust player of the draft, according to the experts (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

“I think people are hung up on what the excitement was a couple of years ago,” added Forde. “This was a kid that very quickly became an all-Canadian on a Calgary offence that was a little bit of a relay team. He is a prized guy, you’re talking about a receiver, 6-foot-4, 6-foot-5 and fast, a guy that can blaze. But the thing that stands out for me is you’re talking about a guy who missed his last year of college football and then had his draft year deferred, so he’s very raw. Mark Chapman, Daniel Petermann, those are guys that have played a lot of football in the last four years and have developed.”

Still, there’s an upside and a mystique that could draw some teams in. While Simonise is far from the most polished receiver in the draft, he might just have the most upside.

“I think a lot of people see a guy that’s more mature than a year ago in terms of decision-making and focus,” said Forde. “But if you’re going to compare Simonise to Mark Chapman, Chapman is your finished product, Simonise is all sorts of untapped potential. That’s what you’re drafting and recognizing: that he’s not as far along in that developmental curve as you might have hoped. But if you get him in the right system and the right veteran guys, there’s a world of potential there.”