Louisiana Tech
TORONTO — Every team entered the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft with their own priorities and a pattern quickly emerged among the clubs in the first round.
Whether it was protecting quarterbacks or disrupting offences, front offices across the CFL showed what they were looking for on Tuesday night.
Here are three position groups that dominated the first round of the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft.
CFL CANADIAN DRAFT
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OFFENSIVE LINE
The top two picks of the draft were both offensive linemen, with Purdue’s Giordano Vaccaro going to the Ottawa REDBLACKS first overall. Vaccaro was ranked No. 11 on the final edition of the spring edition of the CFL Scouting Bureau ahead of the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft.
Toronto decided to take a big man in the trenches as well, selecting CFL Combine presented by Anytime Fitness standout Niklas Henning. The Tiger-Cats also got in on the action, selecting the third offensive lineman in the draft, taking Louisiana Tech’s Jonathan Denis fifth overall.
LINEBACKER
The first linebacker taken in the draft was Dariel Djabome, selected third overall by the Edmonton Elks. Dariel Djabome had been projected by CFL.ca’s Marshall Ferguson to go fourth overall in his final mock draft after a highly productive career at Rutgers.
Angelo State’s Eric Rascoe was the second rangy defender taken in the first round, with the Calgary Stampeders snatching him up with the sixth overall pick. Rascoe was a recent CFL Combine participant in Edmonton, playing the Canadian game for the first time and was a standout amongst linebackers in attendance.
“Eric Rascoe got checkmarks across the board, whether from testing or practices,” CFL.ca’s Marshall Ferguson said after the CFL Combine. “Rascoe stepped onto a CFL-sized field for the first time ever this past weekend and, while the 12-on-12 reps didn’t offer a complete picture, the individual sessions told a strong story.”
PASS-CATCHER
While receiver and tight end are not the same position, they both run routes and catch passes from quarterbacks. The first pass-catcher taken off the board was Nate DeMontagnac by the BC Lions, giving the Leos a big bodied receiver to add to their offence. The Montreal Alouettes took tight end Rohan Jones from Arkansas with the eighth overall pick.
