2018 CFL draft

[OV Argo]

[QUOTE=jerrym;124193]The rarest of all draft picks, a Canadian QB, is reflected in the fact that their are only two Canadian QBs at the National, 2016 Hec Creighton winner Noah Picton of the University of Regina and Christian Strong, who played at Seton Hill University. Although born in Canada, the 6'4", 215 lb Strong lived in the US until 12 and played Pop Warner football there starting at age eight, but then lived and played high school Canadian football in Brampton from 13 to 17 before heading to the US for university. How much of a chance will either of them get in the CFL?

Picton was at the CFL Combine last year - they need to look at him again?; his 5-9 size means he has little hope of a real CFL try-out; he could be brought into a CFL TC as an extra arm for camp.

Meanwhile - Laval QB Hugo Richard is not going to the CFL Combine (he was at the east Regional) ??? Richard was CIS rookie of the year; a 2 time CIS all-star, and a Vanier winning QB; his career passing stats are outstanding (one of the top all-time completion %s); he has pro QB size (6-2, 220), and has shown some pretty decent mobility/running in college ball.

Richard NOT going to this CFL Combine is IMO glaring proof that the GOBs still don't really care for Canadian QBs (even with all the B$ talk about Bridge or Buckley as examples); what would their excuse be for writing off Richard's outstanding resume, and only 2 QB invited (one of them a repeat from last year) ??? They do like to use the Combine to look for good special teams prospects though.

[cfl-cis fan]

Who are the Canadian stars attending the CFL combine on behalf of the league that the young USport athletes can relate to and be inspired!

[jerrym]

The following article from September 2017 summarizes 5'9" 180 lb Picton's accomplishments to that point and discusses his viewpoint on the CFL and Canadian QBs. In 2017 he passed for 2,491 yards with a 68.8% completion rate.

Picton very quietly and respectfully tore the league apart [in 2016]. His 3,186 passing yards were a USports single-season record. His 224 completions were a Canada West single-season record and he added a conference-leading 25 touchdown passes. His pass attempts (323) and completion percentage (69.3) were single-season records at the U of R.
The reigning Hec Creighton winner has two more years to play for the Rams. He opened his fourth year on Friday night throwing for 335 yards and two touchdowns on 23-35 passing in the Rams’ 36-20 win over UBC.
It’s strange, then, if you’re unfamiliar with the script, to hear the reigning national player of the year speak of a glass ceiling waiting for him after he graduates with a finance degree.

“From my perspective it is disappointing because I feel like there are a lot of great Canadian kids who can play in the CFL and I think there are a lot of great Canadians who haven’t gotten a fair shot at it,” he says.
“You see some of these guys that come up and I’ve watched a lot of university football through the years. I’ve seen the Kyle Quinlans in recent memory, Jordan Heather, some of those guys could make a CFL roster for sure, but they weren’t given a fair chance.
“I think that is disappointing because that’s writing guys off and having that stigma around Canadians, it’s too bad. You want to see guys in your league do the best they can and play as long as they can and when you think they deserve a shot and when you think they can play it’s disheartening to see them kind of turned away.”

https://www.cfl.ca/2017/09/02/long-r...ready-takeoff/

[Shatto]

There is always a debate on whether to draft for a specific need or draft best player available. I lean towards the latter but that is often complicated, in that the best available may also receive NFL attention.
IMO, perhaps it would be wise to withhold judgement until we see the results of the National combine, where often a dark horse often emerges.
One player who did impress me in the Ontario combine was OL Sam MacMillan. He is a little undersized but he has time to build some extra bulk.

[jerrym]

Three players have been added to the National Combine as a result of their performance at the Western Regional Combine: WRs William Watson and Justin Buren, as well as RB Tanner Green.

From a numbers standpoint, Buren had arguably the best performance in Winnipeg. His 36.5-inch vertical was second to Manitoba receiver Stephen Ugbah (37.5 inches), while Buren’s broad jump of 10’7.00″ was tops among all participants. Buren, a native of Coquitlam, B.C., also led all receivers and defensive backs with 15 reps on the bench press.
In the afternoon the focus shifted to the highly-anticipated 40-yard dash, a test of explosiveness and straight-line speed. Watson won the race to the lowest 40 with a 4.71, with Buren close behind at 4.73 as the pass-catchers led the way.
In addition to the fastest 40, Watson also had the day’s best three-cone with a 7.06 — well ahead of defensive back Brooks Falloon (7.15) and receiver Dallas Boath (7.16). ...


A year after impressing scouts in the U SPORTS East-West Bowl, Watson was one of the top names going into Thursday’s showcase — and he delivered as advertised.
While his 2017 season was limited to three games, Watson earned the East-West Bowl invite after a 2016 campaign in which he hauled in 42 passes (sixth in Canada West) for 507 yards and six touchdowns. Watson also put his speed to good use as a returner that year, logging five kick returns for 90 yards and five punts for 15 yards.

https://www.cfl.ca/2018/03/22/extend...tern-regional/

[OV Argo]

Three players have been added to the National Combine as a result of their performance at the Western Regional Combine: WRs William Watson and Justin Buren, as well as RB Tanner Green.



https://www.cfl.ca/2018/03/22/extend...tern-regional/

Both Buren & Watson are pretty decent receiver prospects IMO; both might be available in mid to later rounds ? Be nice to see another Andre Talbot find at receiver in the later rounds.

But again - Argos are basically loaded at NI receiver IMO, so no real need there; especially with early picks.

Like to see them focus on O-line in a deep crop year - could get 2 very good prospects there in the first 4 rounds or so?; also like the possibility of a future impact safety with Godfrey Onyeka or Jackson Bennett; but maybe Gabriel will re-emerge as a top safety (though he could play OLB IMO) and Woodson could maybe take that job?

[doubleblue]

RT David Knevel 6'81/2" 330 pro day at Nebraska: 40 time a slow 5.5 Bench: 16 reps. His agent has heard from 12 NFL and 9 CFL teams. Only 3 CFL scouts in attendance. Projected to be signed as a free agent in the NFL as a Guard. Says he would love to play in the CFL as well.

LT Ryan Hunter 6'3" 325 pro day at Bowling Green: 40 time 5.2 Bench: 25 reps. Possible NFL free agent as well as a Guard. Will exhaust all NFL opportunities first though before thinking CFL. Rated 81st out of 161 Guards in the NFL Draft.

Wouldn't be surprised if they are not taken in the 1st round of the CFL Draft seeing the other talent available. Maybe Darius Ciraco 6'4 300 out of Calgary but an Ontario native would be a better choice for the Argos at #1.

[OV Argo]

RT David Knevel 6'81/2" 330 pro day at Nebraska: 40 time a slow 5.5 Bench: 16 reps. His agent has heard from 12 NFL and 9 CFL teams. Only 3 CFL scouts in attendance. Projected to be signed as a free agent in the NFL as a Guard. Says he would love to play in the CFL as well.

LT Ryan Hunter 6'3" 325 pro day at Bowling Green: 40 time 5.2 Bench: 25 reps. Possible NFL free agent as well as a Guard. Will exhaust all NFL opportunities first though before thinking CFL. Rated 81st out of 161 Guards in the NFL Draf

Wouldn't be surprised if they are not taken in the 1st round of the CFL Draft seeing the other talent available. Maybe Darius Ciraco 6'4 300 out of Calgary but an Ontario native would be a better choice for the Argos at #1.

UBC O-lineman Dakoda Shepley got to participate in a US college ball pro day (one of the Michigan teams cause it was close enough to where he played HS ball in S. Ontario) - and put up a far better set of testing #s than Hunter (or Knevel from the sound of it) - wonder if this could translate to moving up to a higher CFL pick? - Shepley will be at the CFL Combine while NCAA O-linemen who are top rated - Knevel, Hunter & Rutherford - will not be there.

There are several CIS all-star O-linemen who could be rated as high as any of those NCAA Canuck O-linemen: Shepley; Ciraco & Sceviour from the Dinos - both CIS all-stars); Pickett (Guelph), plus David Brown (CIS 1st team all-star at OT for the powerhouse Western offence last season), Mark Korte (Alberta - drew some good reviews at the US Shrine game) or Keiler Cherry (2 time AUS all-star at OT for Acadia); both Brown & Cherry are not going to the CFL Combine this weekend despite the fact both have made this year's CFL's Scouting Bureau's Top 20 lists ??? - like to know why? - maybe they are injured or else have told the CFL they have no interest in pro ball ? And 3 time (!) AUS all-star OG Jacob Czaja - with pro size and a petty decent bench # did not advance to the main Combine from the East regional ? ; neither did AUS all-star OT Mathew Ouellet-Decarlo (Bishops) who has 6-4, 315 size ?- only 2 AUS players going to the main Combine ? = CFL types might have little respect for top players from that weaker CIS Conference ?

[mustangs fan]

UBC O-lineman Dakoda Shepley got to participate in a US college ball pro day (one of the Michigan teams cause it was close enough to where he played HS ball in S. Ontario) - and put up a far better set of testing #s than Hunter (or Knevel from the sound of it) - wonder if this could translate to moving up to a higher CFL pick? - Shepley will be at the CFL Combine while NCAA O-linemen who are top rated - Knevel, Hunter & Rutherford - will not be there.

There are several CIS all-star O-linemen who could be rated as high as any of those NCAA Canuck O-linemen: Shepley; Ciraco & Sceviour from the Dinos - both CIS all-stars); Pickett (Guelph), plus David Brown (CIS 1st team all-star at OT for the powerhouse Western offence last season), Mark Korte (Alberta - drew some good reviews at the US Shrine game) or Keiler Cherry (2 time AUS all-star at OT for Acadia); both Brown & Cherry are not going to the CFL Combine this weekend despite the fact both have made this year's CFL's Scouting Bureau's Top 20 lists ??? - like to know why? - maybe they are injured or else have told the CFL they have no interest in pro ball ? And 3 time (!) AUS all-star OG Jacob Czaja - with pro size and a petty decent bench # did not advance to the main Combine from the East regional ? ; neither did AUS all-star OT Mathew Ouellet-Decarlo (Bishops) who has 6-4, 315 size ?- only 2 AUS players going to the main Combine ? = CFL types might have little respect for top players from that weaker CIS Conference ?

http://3downnation.com/2018/04/21/wh...ureau-and-why/

Article by Dunk gives you all you need to know about why Brown has seemingly disappeared from the draft discussion. Even though he has fallen off the list and Ferguson doesn't have him on any mocks, don't be surprised to see Brown drafted this year.

As for Cherry, I have heard that he suffered an injury as well.

[OV Argo]

http://3downnation.com/2018/04/21/wh...ureau-and-why/

Article by Dunk gives you all you need to know about why Brown has seemingly disappeared from the draft discussion. Even though he has fallen off the list and Ferguson doesn't have him on any mocks, don't be surprised to see Brown drafted this year.

As for Cherry, I have heard that he suffered an injury as well.

Actually, Junk's article hardly gives me all the info i need - other than he suffered an injury in the Vanier (which i had already heard on another fan forum) - but what took Junk or another draft "guru" like Ferguson all this time to mention him, and what is his injury status (expected to recover? devastating injury where he might not be able to play football again?); and why have neither of these supposed "experts" mentioned Brown (arguably would have been top 5 rated in this deep O-line crop) or Cherry (was #17 on the initial CFL Scouting Bureau) in any of their lots of chances draft talk ?

CFL draft reporting has IMO took a step backwards with these 2 lightweights in charge of much of the info & opinion. Duane Forde was 10x better when he cared or was given the space; and Rids (who has posted on various CFL fan forums including here I believe) used to have a site about young Canadian football talent that had draft features - not sure if he still reports somehow ?

[jerrym]

Glad to have another Argo fan on board.

[jerrym]

One interesting question is how well Rashaun Simonise will do and where he will end up being drafted. In 2015, while playing with the University of Calgary Dinos, he was first in TD receptions, second in yardage and third in receptions in the Canada West Conference. After being ruled academically ineligible for 2016, he played he played with the Chicago Eagles of the Champion Indoor Football League, then went to Cincinnati Bengals TC where he was cut just before the NFL season began. In 2017 he played briefly for the Okanagan Sun but a positive drug test delayed his eligibility for the CFL draft until this year.

[doubleblue]

This was my first look at Simonise. Have to say I was a little disappointed as he only did a 4.76 forty and 7 on the bench. Then in the one on ones he looked rather ordinary, couldn't get open and couldn't hold onto the ball in tight coverage. A lot of poorly thrown balls IMO didn't help though. Hope he's not another Devon Bailey.

Mark Chapman and Daniel Petermann both look like they're the real deal. Regis Cibasu was a no show? I didn't see him at all.

[OV Argo]

This was my first look at Simonise. Have to say I was a little disappointed as he only did a 4.76 forty and 7 on the bench. Then in the one on ones he looked rather ordinary, couldn't get open and couldn't hold onto the ball in tight coverage. A lot of poorly thrown balls IMO didn't help though. Hope he's not another Devon Bailey.

Mark Chapman and Daniel Petermann both look like they're the real deal. Regis Cibasu was a no show? I didn't see him at all.

I read somewhere that Cibasu declined the invitation due to school commitments.

Still have heard no word on why either of O-linemen Brown (Western) & Cherry (Acadia) - both have made the CFL Scouting Bureau's top 20 list - were not at the Combine ?

Have to think Shepley & Pickett improved their stock at the Combine - both put up strong bench #s and both are massive pro size (Pickett at 6-3, 315 range is classic pro guard size these days and that is where his experience is with Guelph - he might be the best pro ready OG in this crop, unless one of Hunter, Rutherford or Godber - none worked out at this Combine - grade out better?) Shepley might have passed Knevel (Nebraksa) as the best OT in this class - but Knevel has the Div I resume and 6-9 frame that CFL scouts will favor, Who knows if either will get CFL shots at OT ? - all of these O-linemen in a deep crop might be just viewed as interior O-linemen by the CFL "scouts" ?

Simonise may have only ran a 4.76 forty but his 6-5 frame and some very explosive jumping #s, plus a top score in the 3 cone must have impressed some scouts. If this guy can learn to run good routes in the pros and show good hands, the 40 time won't matter - as Fantuz (4.9 range 40 at his CFL Combine) - should have proved to myopic scouts who are more in love with testing # than they are impressed by football players.

Petermann i had as an under the radar type for this draft, but his outstanding Combine results will have changed that. His ex-Mac team-mate Vandervoort went 3rd overall last year, but Petermann has a quite superior set of athletic testing#s and as good receiving production at Mac. Still think Chapman and Simonise will be the first 2 receivers picked, but Petermann could be a real steal in the 2nd to mid rounds maybe ?

[Wobbler]

Was there much coverage/analysis of the 1-on-1's? I hardly found any, so I'm even more ignorant than usual about the prospects this year.

[jerrym]

U of A Golden Bear OL Mark Korte beat or matched his Combine results at the Golden Bears pro day.

The Canada West conference Most Outstanding Lineman in 2017 matched or bettered his testing results from the CFL event. Korte ran a 5.22 40-yard dash, 7.47 three-cone, 4.63 short shuttle, broad jumped eight feet, eight inches, recorded a 30-inch vertical while pushing 225 pounds 19 times in the bench press.

The 40-yard time would’ve tied him for 11th among all offensive linemen invited to the NFL combine, three-cone clocking sixth overall, short shuttle tied for eighth, broad jump top 20 and vertical leap tied for eighth. All that at six-foot-two-and-a-half and 294 pounds.

http://3downnation.com/2018/03/27/al...rs-at-pro-day/

[OV Argo]

Rice O-lineman Peter Godber - who declined to take part in tests at the CFL Combine - put up a very impressive set of testing #s at the Rice pro day - 36 bench reps would have led the CFL Combine by a long ways.

Haven't heard of any NFL interest in this guy - but maybe now? Bet he is a CFL 1st rounder, and maybe if he is still there at #9 Popp would like to draft this Toronto guy ? Probably going to get picked earlier though?

[Wobbler]

Post-combine, what would you do with our first round pick, OV?

[OV Argo]

Post-combine, what would you do with our first round pick, OV?

Tough one. I'd either go best O-linemen still available (whoever they feel grades out as the best OG - guy who can make the roster for depth right away or possibly even start in year one); or, if Onyeka or Bennett are still there, and they feel Woodson from last year's draft has no real starter potential at safety - then one of those guys, cause i think they both have potential as future all-star type CFL safeties (or the capability to play at OLB too, or even fill-in all over the D-backfield).

Please do not use the first rounder on a receiver, or a special teams only project.

[Wobbler]

It would be nice if a good OL prospect was left at #9 - fingers crossed. I wouldn't complain if we traded down and went after a second tier guy + one of the possible NFLers, though.