Orange Crush: Als take Syracuse LB Tyrell Richards No. 1
TORONTO — With the first overall pick in the 2022 CFL Draft, the Montreal Alouettes have chosen Syracuse linebacker Tyrell Richards.
Richards played three seasons with the Orange, collecting 54 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss and six sacks across 31 games. His selection on Tuesday night follows the Alouettes’ work in the Global Draft earlier on Tuesday, where the team chose Syracuse defensive end Kingsley Jonathan first overall.
The Alouettes traded up on Tuesday morning to gain the No. 1 pick, swapping its No. 4 pick with the Edmonton Elks and sending them the draft rights to offensive lineman Carter O’Donnell.
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Tyrell Richards won teams over at the CFL Combine presented by New Era, showing tremendous versatility in his game (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
Richards sat out the 2021 season, but impressed scouts at the 2022 CFL Combine presented by New Era. He demonstrated his athleticism and versatility by participating in drills as a linebacker, a defensive lineman and a defensive back, becoming the only player in Combine history to manage the feat.
His work at the combine boosted his ranking in the CFL Scouting Bureau, lifting him from fourth in the winter rankings to third in the spring.
