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How often as a sports fan do you scroll through past draft classes and ask yourself the dangerous question of “What If?”.
You know what I’m talking about.
You look at the list of players drafted and can’t believe your team passed on a star linebacker for another player who never really made it. It’s the height of sports masochism, I would not recommend doing it, yet I do it all the time. I can’t help myself.
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I bring this up as we are now approaching the CFL Draft on April 29. Now, more than ever, we are tempted to look at past draft results and just stare at Brady Oliveira as the 14th overall selection.
Instead of partaking in a painful “benefit of hindsight” exercise, I wanted to go back and look at the past 10 first overall draft picks to see how they worked out.
JOEL DUBLANKO | LB | EDMONTON ELKS | 2024
LB Joel Dublanko made eight special teams tackles in his first year with the Elks (GoElks.com)
A productive linebacker during his Cincinnati Bearcat days, Joel clocked an impressive 4.59 40-yard dash time at last year’s CFL Combine and is currently an important cog in the Elks special teams unit.
Joel has a real chance to make that jump from special teams star to full time starter at the linebacker position. He is a player to keep an eye on at Elks training camp.
DONTAE BULL | OL | OTTAWA REDBLACKS | 2023
OL Dontae Bull was the first overall pick by the REDBLACKS in 2023 (OttawaREDBLACKS.com)
A broken leg during his final year at Fresno State and a leg injury last season has slowed the development of Bull who has played in just 16 games in his first two years as a REDBLACK.
A healthy off-season and a strong training camp could translate to a permanent starting gig at the tackle position.
TYRELL RICHARDS | LB | MONTREAL ALOUETTES | 2022
LB Tyrell Richards has 19 defensive tackles and two turnovers forced with the Alouettes (Minas Panagiotakis/CFL.ca)
Despite not playing collegiately in 2021, the Alouettes were so impressed with Richards’ career at Syracuse and his overall talent that they traded up to select the National linebacker. Richards has played 24 games so far for the Alouettes.
Fun fact, the first tackle of the 2023 Grey Cup, a 28-24 Montreal win over Winnipeg, was made by Richards on the opening kickoff. Odd fact, I went on his Instagram account and found during an interview he did with ‘The 1st Half Podcast’ that his favourite movie is Sharknado. Do with that as you will.
JAKE BURT | REC | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS | 2021
Jake Burt appeared in only four games with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2022 (Photo: Boston College Athletics)
For so many reasons I wanted this selection to work out. On the human side I always root for success. Who doesn’t want to see people achieve their ultimate goals?
On the football nerdy side, I was excited to see the return of the tight end to the CFL. Alas, it did not work out as, you guessed it, injuries derailed the start of Burt’s career.
He finished his CFL career with just four receptions and the dream of the elite tight end dominating our league will have to wait for another day.
JORDAN WILLIAMS | LB | BC LIONS | 2020
LB Jordan Williams was named Most Outstanding Rookie in 2021 (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
Now this is what we normally expect from a first overall draft pick.
After waiting a year to make his debut due to COVID, Williams easily toppled Mike O’Shea’s Canadian rookie record for tackles (75) with 92 for the Lions in 2021.
In doing so Jordan was named Most Outstanding Rookie, an award that oddly enough is rarely won by the top draft selection. In 2023, Williams was traded to the Argonauts where he put up a solid season starting 13 games and finishing with 48 defensive tackles.
A year later, as a member of the Tiger-Cats, Williams announced his retirement.
SHANE RICHARDS | OL | TORONTO ARGONAUTS | 2019
OL Shane Richards has appeared in 47 CFL games with the Argonauts and Elks (Argonauts.ca)
Shane is currently a free agent after spending last season as a backup right tackle and starting right guard for the Edmonton Elks.
Richards was good enough as a rookie to be an opening day starter for the Argonauts, but that all too common theme of injuries crops up yet again.
A groin injury would cost him much of the season and soon after that COVID would take away the 2020 season and with it, important years of development for Richards.
Here’s hoping for the back half of his career to be an easier road than the first half.
MARK CHAPMAN | REC | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS | 2018
REC Mark Chapman ended up not playing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Jason Halstead/CFL.ca)
There is no way to sugar coat it, this pick was a disaster for the Tiger-Cats as Chapman never played a single down for Hamilton.
I could summarize his brief football career, but I think TSN Football Insider Dave Naylor summed it up best in a July 24, 2019 tweet that Chapman has “no interest in football.”
FAITH EKAKITIE | DL | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS | 2017
DL Faith Ekakitie appeared in only five games in the CFL due to injury (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
The streak of offensive linemen below was broken by the former Iowa Hawkeye.
Following an unproductive rookie campaign with the Bombers, Ekakitie’s football career was cut short by a torn Achilles as a member of the Montreal Alouettes in the summer of 2018.
A year later he would announce his retirement from the game. He is currently the Assistant Dean of Admission for Lake Forest Academy, a well-respected boarding school in Illinois.
JOSIAH ST. JOHN | OL | SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS | 2016
OL Josiah St. John played in 44 CFL games with Saskatchewan and Edmonton (Matt Smith/CFL.ca)
Josiah body of work didn’t live up to the draft billing as he bounced around the league spending the majority of his time with the Roughriders. However, his current football career is definitely worth watching.
St. John is a member of the Canadian National Senior Men’s Football Team, and they will be doing battle with Italy on April 19 in the town of Cagliari which is located on the Italian island of Sardinia.
The team is led by former CFL quarterback Michael O’Connor (2019 Draft class) and this contest will be Canada’s first international game since they won silver at the 2011 World Championships.
I feel shame that I don’t know more about this program but here’s wishing St. John and all the Canadians all the best in what looks like the most beautiful road trip a football team can take.
ALEX MATEAS | OL | OTTAWA REDBLACKS | 2015
OL Alex Mateas spent five years with the REDBLACKS after being selected in the 2015 CFL Draft (Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca)
Alex spent his entire five-year career in Ottawa and was the starting centre in their crazy 39-33 Grey Cup victory over Calgary.
Mateas, who played in 88 games, earned two East Division All-CFL nominations (2017, 2018). Judging from his Instagram account, Mateas is mentoring children getting into football and giving lessons on mental toughness.
PIERRE LAVERTU | OL | CALGARY STAMPEDERS | 2014
OL Pierre Lavertu spent three seasons with the Calgary Stampeders (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Calgary made a deal with the then Ottawa REDBLACKS to take this three-time, All-Canadian from Laval.
Injuries cut short what should have been a long career for Lavertu. Pierre’s career spanned just 41 regular season games, but he did win a Grey Cup in 2014 and made the 2015 West Division All-CFL team.
I know the combine is in the rare view mirror but check out his work at the bench press!
