Andrew Mahon/CFL.ca
TORONTO — For the dozens of prospects waiting to hear their names called and their pro football dreams to be realized, the CFL Draft is finally upon us.
For football fans across the country, their teams are about to restock on National talent, the calendar is about to flip to May and we’re about to be whisked headfirst into the 2024 CFL season.
When CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie announces the first pick of the draft on TSN and RDS on Tuesday night just after 8 p.m. ET, it will feel like we’ve finally shifted from talking about the coming season to dipping our toes into it. The 74 names we hear called on Tuesday will be set to hit the field just over a week later when rookie camps open on May 8. Full training camps open on May 12 and we have our first preseason game on May 20. From there, we’re counting down to the June 6 kickoff.
First, it starts with the draft class of 2024. Let’s get into the nitty gritty of that.
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Some clarity out of Detroit
The NFL Draft wrapped up on Saturday in Detroit and with it comes some CFL Draft clarity for some of the names that have been at and near the top of the CFL’s Scouting Bureau this year.
Isaiah Adams (third round, 71st overall, Arizona Cardinals) was the first Canadian player chosen. The fourth round of the draft saw a pair of Canadian players chosen, with tight end Theo Johnson going 107th overall to the New York Giants and defensive lineman Giovanni Manu going 126th overall to the Detroit Lions. Tight end Tanner McLachlan went in the sixth round, 194th overall to the Cincinnati Bengals.
As expected, that should push their names further down in Tuesday’s CFL Draft, as teams likely won’t invest a high pick in a player that stands to spend some significant time in the NFL.
Things get interesting with Canadian players that weren’t drafted but either signed undrafted free agent contracts with NFL teams or were invited to a team’s rookie camp.
Canadians that have signed as undrafted free agents may not have the job security that a draft pick might, but will likely be viewed as longer-term investments from any CFL teams that pick them.
UBC offensive lineman Theo Benedet (Chicago Bears), Boston College offensive lineman Kyle Hergel (New Orleans Saints) Howard offensive lineman Anim Dankwah (Philadelphia Eagles) and Augustana quarterback Casey Bauman (LA Chargers) all signed as undrafted free agents.
The rookie camp invitees include former McGill defensive back Ben Labrosse and Auburn receiver Nick Mardner, who will attend the New York Giants‘ camp. Linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku will be at the Miami Dolphins‘ camp, while linebacker Luke Brubacher and running back Michael Chris-Ike will be with the New York Jets. Laval kicker Vincent Blanchard will be at the New England Patriots’ camp.
Who do you have at first overall?
Since the CFL Combine presented by New Era wrapped up last month in Winnipeg, we’ve been pondering who the Edmonton Elks might take with the first overall pick. Elks general manager and head coach Chris Jones has effectively said nothing but been open to everything when discussing what he might do with the top pick. Would he trade it, like he did two years ago in a draft day deal with the Montreal Alouettes? Did he want to choose based on the talent he saw in Winnipeg at the combine? Perhaps. Or would he roll the dice with one of the players mentioned above, who will take their NFL shot and potentially become available later this year or further down the road?
Duane Forde, TSN’s resident draft expert, hates to make predictions on how these things will play out. Instead of one single player at No. 1, he was asked in last week’s media call who he saw as potential fits for what the Elks might need. The word that jumped out from Forde’s time on that call was how often he said ‘unicorn’ and taking the most unique player available who could do things that no one else could.
Citing Calgary taking Alex Singleton sixth overall in the 2016 draft, Forde noted that the five teams in front of Calgary would perhaps reconsider if they had the chance at a re-do. With Dublanko casting a similar shadow — an accomplished NCAA linebacker with some NFL experience — he sees reason for him to go first.
“I do think that there are things about Joel Dublanko that make sense at that spot,” Forde said. “At the first pick, you’re looking for the most unique guy that you can’t get somewhere else.”
One of those players in Winnipeg who rose their stock with a strong combine showing was Laval receiver Kevin Mital. He jumped from No. 20 in the winter edition of the Scouting Bureau rankings to No. 10 in the spring edition. The Hec Creighton winner impressed with his size, speed and good hands.
“Mital was a guy who I thought separated himself from the group, certainly from the group at the combine,” Forde said. “(He’s) a guy who demonstrates himself as certainly being ready to play.”
Marshall Ferguson, who often sits next to Forde in the booth calling games for TSN and doubles as CFL.ca’s draft expert, had Geoffrey Cantin-Arku, who will take part in the Dolphins’ rookie camp, as his top pick in the second version of his mock draft on CFL.ca. He had Dublanko as his top pick in the first version of his mock draft.
A deep class
If you’ve read Ferguson’s combine and draft content in the last couple of years, you’ll see that he’s intrigued with the increased length and athleticism of prospects. That leads to a very deep and intriguing draft class across the board, regardless of who goes first overall.
“The body types feel longer, feel more athletic,” Ferguson said. “Last year at the East West Bowl…everybody just looked like Dwayne is talking about what those kinds of unique body types that he uses when he talks about the unicorns, half the defensive backs had that kind of length.
“Then you start looking at the offensive line groups and there’s three or four players here who are in the 95th percentile when it comes to reach and height and overall size. There’s a lot of really solid players.
“I think when we look back at this (draft) in a couple of years, we’ll look at the top 30 and there will be 5-10 players who made a real impact in the Canadian Football League. That’s what’s exciting for me about this group.”
“I love this draft class,” Forde said, “probably on the offensive side of the ball, most of all.
“The depth of the o-line position and even more exciting to me is the depth at the receiver position.”
Despite so many Canadian offensive linemen exploring NFL options at the moment, Forde still saw depth at that position.
“That’s, from my perspective, becoming more than norm,” he said. “This is a country that now produces so many high end guys at so many different positions, that that makes covering the draft an absolute blast.”
