May 2, 2019

Report: Richards expected to go first overall

Oklahoma State Athletics

TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts are expected to select Oklahoma State offensive lineman Shane Richards first overall, according to TSN’s Dave Naylor.

The report came out Thursday afternoon, hours before the 2019 CFL Draft, with Naylor reporting that Richards recently arrived in Toronto and a contract is imminent.

“Hearing that Oklahoma State OL Shane Richards and the Argos are deep in discussions and that a deal is imminent,” Naylor tweeted. “He is in Toronto. Richards is represented by player agent Johnathon Hardaway, which some suggested might hurt his stock. Apparently not.”

Richards, who originally came from Calgary before playing NCAA ball with Oklahoma State, was the second-ranked prospect in the third and final installment of the CFL Scouting Bureau rankings, which were released last month after the combine.

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There was some speculation his stock could fall after being sent home from CFL Combine presented by New Era for refusing to take part in testing.

If Richards is the pick, though, he would fill a definite need on an Argos’ O-line that’s projected to start four Canadians next season, including three players 30 years or older.

The 2019 CFL Draft begins Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET and can be seen on TSN, RDS and TSN Direct. Fans can also follow along on CFL.ca with a live Draft Tracker in addition to breaking news, analysis and interviews.