Andrew Lahodynskyj/CFL.ca
The CFL Combine presented by New Era is coming up. The scouts, general managers and coaches will gather around with their clip boards, stopwatches and notepads to make sure they’re getting the most information to prepare for the 2024 CFL Draft as they can.
One of my favourite pieces to write this time of the year is handicapping the depth of National talent and where I see the need for them to attack this next week of drills, one on ones and meetings.
The task is this; if each team only had ONE position to scout at this years combine, which position should it be?
AND…. GO!
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EDMONTON ELKS
This one was easy for me as last year and it appears again this year the Elks will be going with four National offensive linemen to spread out their American depth throughout the rest of the team, but that is extremely tasking on the depth of your National talent.
One or two injuries and you could be in some serious hurt. And there are a lot of top offensive linemen ranked from the January ranking that means the Elks don’t necessarily need to draft an offensive lineman first overall but they could get some great value with their selections at 10th, 18th or 21st overall.
Better yet, pick two in that window!
OTTAWA REDBLACKS
WIDE RECEIVERS!!!!!
The Ottawa REDBLACKS were able to role out Brad Sinopoli and a young Nate Behar and now have the thinnest National receiver depth in the league.
They do have some good young prospects but as we’ve learned from the next team we’ll discuss in Saskatchewan, the more the merrier. The Riders had a bit of an issue here and drafted top receivers and now might be able to start three very talented National receivers this season.
There are plenty of highly ranked receivers in this class that could help the REDBLACKS. But to have great depth you need to start planting seeds as the harvest isn’t very bountiful right now for Ottawa.
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
As much as I can see Jeremy O’Day drafting another wide receiver high this year to continue to nurture the depth, I’m going to move to linebacker for the Riders.
They have a ton of National linebackers but they really want to set that weak-side linebacker aside for a National, which is why they went out signed Adam Auclair in free agency. But they’ve gone from drafted players like Cam Judge and Micah Teitz to now having to go outside to find a suitable replacement.
But I think they could use someone to develop behind Auclair and A.J. Allen early who could turn into a top National candidate like Cam Judge was a few years ago.
CALGARY STAMPEDERS
Can I cheat?
Of course I can, it’s my column.
The Stamps should just sit at offensive and defensive line one on ones and evaluate best on best because they need to bolster the depth of both with losses of Ryan Sceviour, Derek Wiggan and Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund among other departures over the past few seasons.
If the Stampeders can load up on the lines again with their National depth, it would go a long way to pushing them to their goals of becoming yet again a major threat in the CFL’s West Division after nearly ending their amazing playoff appearance streak last year.
TORONTO ARGONAUTS
With Henoc Muamba retiring and Jordan Williams being traded to the Tiger-Cats (coupled with American Adarius Pickett joining the REDBLACKS), the Argos could look to restock the linebacker position with some National talent.
An option could be former Cincinnati Bearcat Joel Dublanko, who was recently added to the CFL Combine and projects as a first round pick.
The Argos traded National linebacker Jordan Williams to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in January (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
BC LIONS
You may have heard the news this off-season that Mathieu Betts signed on with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League as the Lions lose the top defensive player from 2023.
Yes, they have David Menard and a few other depth pieces, but I’m sticking with the Lions keeping a close one on the defensive linemen.
No, they may not find the next Betts but having dynamic National pass rushers off the edge has definitely helped the Lions making room for the ratio in other areas.
With the sixth, 15th and 19th overall selections, and how things are lining up with the draft, they should be able to pick a fairly good defensive line prospect to add to a young core that could grow very well together over the next few years.
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
The Tiger-Cats will be joining those watching defensive linemen.
If they want to use a National spot there and not having Ted Laurent back leaves a big hole. You won’t fill it immediately but in order to not have to shuffle the deck too much for your ratio plans, the more the merrier on the defensive line room.
And this might not even come in their first two picks but I’d be looking to find some diamonds in the rough as some of the top defensive linemen may not be around by 16th overall.
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
Nic Demski and Drew Wolitarsky aren’t getting any younger, though they are just inching closer or into their 30s so there is football left but as age gets to us all the bumps and bruises add up and the Bombers don’t want to be in a situation where they’re scrambling to fill some important ratio requirements.
They are one of the teams that got that extra bonus pick for fielding the most Nationals last season and it’s because of their great depth. I imagine a receiver coming off the board to the Bombers in one of their three picks in the first two rounds.
MONTREAL ALOUETTES
If I’m Danny Maciocia, and good thing I’m not because they wouldn’t have won a Grey Cup last year, I’d be watching for the next Kristian Matte. The 38-year old has been a mainstay along the offensive line and such a great leader, it’ll be hard to follow in his footsteps.
The Alouettes are desperate for offensive lineman. They have a good crop of under 30 players in the system but you start to see a little bit of growing importance to bolster the next man up that can be a mainstay for a generation of Alouettes football.
