May 2, 2019

Argos select quarterback Michael O’Connor in third round

Johany Jutras/CFL.ca

TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts have selected quarterback Michael O’Connor in the third round (20th overall) of the 2019 CFL Draft.

O’Connor was ranked No. 17 on the CFL’s third and final Scouting Bureau Rankings released in April. The quarterback attended the CFL Combine presented by New Era in March, putting up 14 reps on the bench press, jumping 29″ in the vertical jump and 9’2.63″ in the broad. He also finished the 3-cone drill in 7.50 seconds and the shuttle in 4.69.

In 2018, as a member of the UBC Thunderbirds, O’Connor completed 222 of his 316 pass attempts (the best in all of Canada West and fourth-best in U SPORTS) for 2,701 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also added 65 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. The six-foot-five, 235-pound pivot also led UBC to a Vanier Cup in 2015 and was named the championship game’s MVP.

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The highest a quarterback has been drafted was 15th overall, when Jesse Palmer was taken by the Montreal Alouettes in 2001.

The last time two quarterbacks were drafted in the same year was in 2015 when Brandon Bridge (fourth round, 31st overall) and Andrew Buckley (seventh round, 62nd overall) were selected by the Montreal Alouettes and Calgary Stampeders, respectively.

Bridge is also a member of the Toronto Argonauts after the Toronto, Ont. native signed with the team this off-season as a free agent.