Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
TORONTO — Mark Chapman was the first overall pick, but the offensive linemen dominated the rest of the round on Thursday night at the 2018 CFL Draft.
Seven of nine players picked in the first round were offensive linemen, setting a new record for the highest total ever. Chapman is the first receiver selected with the draft’s top pick since Chris Bauman in 2007, but after that it was all big men, with five straight offensive linemen coming off the board.
As speculated, UConn offensive lineman Trey Rutherford went second overall to Montreal, giving another O-lineman that could make an immediate impact — one night after the club acquired veteran guard Ryan Bomben by moving down from first to second.
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“We are getting the player that we had been targeting for a while, he is a big guy and he will strengthen our offensive line immediately,” said Montreal Alouettes’ general manager Kavis Reed. “According to our scouts, he will play an important role in protecting our quarterbacks for years to come.”
The Lions followed with an NCAA offensive lineman, taking Rice offensive lineman Peter Godber with the third pick, followed by Mark Korte fourth overall to Ottawa and Dakoda Shepley fifth overall to Saskatchewan.
Darius Ciraco becomes the latest University of Calgary offensive lineman to join the Ticats, going sixth overall to Hamilton. Ciraco joins Braden Schram and Connor McGough in Hamilton as first-round picks out of Calgary over the last two seasons.
The run on offensive linemen ended with the seventh overall pick when BC selected Georgia State nose tackle Julien Laurent, capping off an impressive first round for new general manager Ed Hervey. Laurent joins Godber as the club’s top two draft picks, fortifying the offensive and defensive lines.
“We’re pleased and excited to be welcoming two excellent young football players to the BC Lions,” said Hervey. “From the outset of this process a number of months ago, our number one goal was to add players who can help our team right now. We have begun to do that today.”
The seven offensive linemen picked in the first round was in stark contract with a year ago, when only two were taken in the first nine selections. The first offensive lineman didn’t come off the board until the eighth pick.
Not long after the retirement of former first overall pick Pierre Lavertu, the Stamps weren’t about to miss out on the opportunity to get an offensive linemen themselves. General Manager John Hufnagel picked local product Ryan Sceviour out of the University of Calgary.
The Argos rounded out the opening nine picks with the selection of Bowling Green’s Ryan Hunter. Hunter finished at the top of the Central Scouting Bureau rankings last month and is considered by some a ‘futures’ pick due to his NFL aspirations.
“We’re extremely excited to get Ryan with the ninth overall pick,” said Argos GM Jim Popp. “Sometimes you have to take a chance to get one of the best players in the draft. We hope our calculated risk will pay off and we’ll see Ryan wearing the Double Blue sometime in the near future.”
