2017 CFL Draft - What Players Will Our Leos Choose

The Place for BC Lion Discussion. A forum for Lions fans to talk and chat about our team.
Discussion, News, Information and Speculation regarding the BC Lions and the CFL.
Prowl, Growl and Roar!

Moderator: Team Captains

User avatar
DanoT
Hall of Famer
Posts: 4309
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 6:38 pm
Location: Victoria, B.C. in summer, Sun Peaks Resort in winter

CardiacKid wrote:In perusing the posts, I was a little surprised not to see Anthony Auclair's name pop up. Based on the interest he has garnered from the NFL, it seems a very good chance he will get his name called at the NFL draft. Roughly 10 NFL teams visited with the guy including the KC Chiefs who have had luck with French-Canadians.

But Wally has shown himself willing to expend a risky pick a player who may disappear down south for a spell and I think Auclair would be worth that wait. A big target like that who can punish defense backs would be sweet. The 2nd tallest guy who ever got evaluated for a pro day or combine at 6'5" and who runs a 4.82 40 and weighs in at 256.

As a tight end, he is bit of a square peg for the round hole CFL. But perhaps his presence would get Khari Jones to open up his bag of tricks a little more?
Sounds like he has the kind of measurables that would attract Chris Jones....he might want convert him to a DE. :wink:
User avatar
B.C.FAN
Team Captain
Posts: 12579
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 10:28 pm

DanoT wrote:
CardiacKid wrote:In perusing the posts, I was a little surprised not to see Anthony Auclair's name pop up. Based on the interest he has garnered from the NFL, it seems a very good chance he will get his name called at the NFL draft. Roughly 10 NFL teams visited with the guy including the KC Chiefs who have had luck with French-Canadians.

But Wally has shown himself willing to expend a risky pick a player who may disappear down south for a spell and I think Auclair would be worth that wait. A big target like that who can punish defense backs would be sweet. The 2nd tallest guy who ever got evaluated for a pro day or combine at 6'5" and who runs a 4.82 40 and weighs in at 256.

As a tight end, he is bit of a square peg for the round hole CFL. But perhaps his presence would get Khari Jones to open up his bag of tricks a little more?
Sounds like he has the kind of measurables that would attract Chris Jones....he might want convert him to a DE. :wink:
Yes. The difference is that A.C. Leonard had much better measurables. He ran a 4.50 40 as a 252 pound tight end at the 2014 NFL combine before being brought in the following year by Jeff Tedford. He had all the tools but his hands were suspect and he was released halfway through the season and later signed as a defensive end by Chris Jones.

Auclair is most comparable to Rolly Lumbala, who ran an identical 4.82 40 at 254 pounds before being drafted by the Lions in 2008. Auclair projects as a blocking back/tight end with a bit more upside than Lumbala as a pass-catcher.
Blitz
Team Captain
Posts: 9094
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:44 am

Auclair is most comparable to Rolly Lumbala, who ran an identical 4.82 40 at 254 pounds before being drafted by the Lions in 2008. Auclair projects as a blocking back/tight end with a bit more upside than Lumbala as a pass-catcher. B.C. Fan
It would be a waste of a draft for our Leos to select a tight end type of player. Our offensive system would waste this type of player nor have we ever designed our offence around any player. Its a plug and play offence. The closest we ever came to designing our offence around our talent was in 2003, when Steve Burratto used Jason Clermont as a tight end at times against specific defenses, like Montreal's defense at that time.

In 2014 and the hiring of Jeff Tedford, the new HC said he would implement a tight end system. But the two International tight ends we recruited were used as outside slotbacks. Nic Lewis is a player that could have been utilized at times as a tight end but never really has been.

In the so called 'good ol' days, offences used tight ends as Tony Gabriel, Herm Harrison, Peter Dalla Riva, Ray Elgaard, Tommy Joe Coffey etc. were both lined up tight as well as split out at times. This pure tight end type of player could be used as a run blocker, pass blocker and a key receiver.

In these days, very long days, of the spread offence in the CFL, when a tight end or two are used, the tight end is usually an extra offensive lineman or two or a fullback who usually is not a very good receiver.

I still think, in the five receiver set, it makes more sense to go with four receivers split and a tight end, if a team has a receiver who is big enough and fast enough and a good enough receiver to play the tight end position.

The New England Patriots transitioned from a spread offence into a two tight end offence and then a single tight end offence with Gronkowski isolated split out and the tight end was back in vogue in the NFL. But by the time that anything is in vogue, Bill Bellichick will be changing.

This season our Leos will line up four Internationals. Chris Williams is a wide out receiver. So when we go to the five receiver set, who will line up wide? Will it be Williams or Iannuzzi? To me, it would make more sense to take an Adekolu and line him up tight, at least as a very tight slotback and create a big target for quick passes over the middle, while also having a lot of speed with our other recievers. Won't happen though.

When we do go tight end set, we'll have a Facult or a Fabian or a Vailencourt line up as a tight end or we'll line up Lumbala tight and never throw to either. Of course the opposition defense knows that too and won't cover them and will instead double cover another receiver instead.
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
User avatar
Hambone
Hall of Famer
Posts: 8173
Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:25 pm
Location: Living in PG when not at BC Place, Grey Cup or Mazatlan.

CardiacKid wrote:In perusing the posts, I was a little surprised not to see Anthony Auclair's name pop up. Based on the interest he has garnered from the NFL, it seems a very good chance he will get his name called at the NFL draft. Roughly 10 NFL teams visited with the guy including the KC Chiefs who have had luck with French-Canadians.

But Wally has shown himself willing to expend a risky pick on a player who may disappear down south for a spell and I think Auclair would be worth that wait. A big target like that who can punish defense backs would be sweet. The 2nd tallest guy who ever got evaluated for a pro day or combine at 6'5" and who runs a 4.82 40 and weighs in at 256.

As a tight end, he is bit of a square peg for the round hole CFL. But perhaps his presence would get Khari Jones to open up his bag of tricks a little more?
The draft has changed considerably with the rule changes that were invoked a couple years ago that eliminated NCAA redshirts from being CFL Draft eligible a year prior to graduating. Guys taken early like Watkins, Atogwe and Lokombo were drafted as high end talent but without the knowledge of how they would play as seniors or how that would translate into NFL interest. With the draft rules changes in place CFL GMs know the NFL status of players prior to the CFL Draft. They don't have to guess 1 year into the future.

Case in point 2015. In 2015 Boyko had been the #1 prospect in the first 2 lists of ranking. He only dropped to #2 because Covington declared himself eligible to enter the NFL Draft thus ending his NCAA eligibility. Boyko went undrafted in the NFL but wound up as an undrafted priority FA signing. Covington went in the 6th round to Houston. Wally waited until BC's pick mid 2nd round and didn't role the dice on Covington until the tail end of the 5th round using one of the extra picks acquired in the deals with Hamilton. If BC uses a 1st round pick on someone like Auclair it will be because he wasn't drafted by an NFL club and didn't sign a PFA deal. If he does land an NFL deal he won't be on BC's radar until the 3rd round or later IMO, much later if he happens to get drafted by an NFL club.

It's really impossible to guess how the Lions' draft board will unfold this early. The rankings are subjective lists of prospects based on talents and physical attributes and the 9 teams each have their own rankings. It's easy to surmise that very few of the 9 teams would have the same 5 players in their top 5 or the top 5 rankings and few would have them in the same order. One never really knows how it will unfold as every player taken literally resets the remaining board. The first draft day shoe to drop is the first player taken. Everybody's board changes after that. However the first real shoe to drop and a much bigger shoe is the NFL Draft and subsequent Priority FA signings and any other tryout offers accept. That can totally shake up the rankings list.

Using the 2015 draft as an example here's a list of the final player rankings and their final draft position. Lion picks in bold.

1 - 43
2 - 14
3 - 1
4 - 19
5 - 7
6 - 2
7 - 12
8 - 18
9 - 6
10 - 3
11 - 4
12 - 11
13 - 8
14 - 17
15 - 22
16 - 23
17 - 5
18 - 10
19 - 31
20 - 13

Same for 2016:

1 - 35
2 - 8
3 - 25
4 - 17
5 - 1
6 - 5
7 - 6
8 - 9
9 - 2
10 - 4
11 - 19
12 - 15
13 - 14
14 - 30
15 - 12
16 - 10
17 - 7
18 - 24
19 - 31
20 - 53
You're as old as you've ever been and as young as you're ever going to be.
User avatar
B.C.FAN
Team Captain
Posts: 12579
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 10:28 pm

Hambone wrote:It's really impossible to guess how the Lions' draft board will unfold this early. The rankings are subjective lists of prospects based on talents and physical attributes and the 9 teams each have their own rankings. It's easy to surmise that very few of the 9 teams would have the same 5 players in their top 5 or the top 5 rankings and few would have them in the same order. One never really knows how it will unfold as every player taken literally resets the remaining board. The first draft day shoe to drop is the first player taken. Everybody's board changes after that. However the first real shoe to drop and a much bigger shoe is the NFL Draft and subsequent Priority FA signings and any other tryout offers accept. That can totally shake up the rankings list.

Using the 2015 draft as an example here's a list of the final player rankings and their final draft position. Lion picks in bold.

1 - 43
2 - 14
3 - 1
4 - 19
5 - 7
6 - 2
7 - 12
8 - 18
9 - 6
10 - 3
11 - 4
12 - 11
13 - 8
14 - 17
15 - 22
16 - 23
17 - 5
18 - 10
19 - 31
20 - 13

Same for 2016:

1 - 35
2 - 8
3 - 25
4 - 17
5 - 1
6 - 5
7 - 6
8 - 9
9 - 2
10 - 4
11 - 19
12 - 15
13 - 14
14 - 30
15 - 12
16 - 10
17 - 7
18 - 24
19 - 31
20 - 53
This is further evidence that the CFL draft is a crapshoot. There are too many variables at play. Even if there is consensus on some of the best players, NFL interest usually makes it too risky to draft them in the top rounds.
Blitz
Team Captain
Posts: 9094
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:44 am

Its interesting to look at our first selection draft history in the Buono era here in B.C.

2004 - Oshio Atogwe
2005- Alexis Bwenge
2006- Jason Pottinger
2007- Adam Nicolson
2008- Justin Sorensen
2009- Jamall Lee
2010- Danny Watkins
2011- Marco Iannuzzi
2012- Jabar Westerman
2013- Hunter Steward
2014- T-Dre Player
2015- Ese Mrabure-Ajufo
2016- Charles Vaillencourt
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
User avatar
WestCoastJoe
Hall of Famer
Posts: 17721
Joined: Mon May 22, 2006 8:55 pm

The CFL draft is a great game in itself. Some see it as a crapshoot, as does BCFAN. Fair enough. This fan sees it as another game, a game of skill, that some teams do better than others. In some respects, it might be a crapshoot, but more importantly, IMO, it is a game of skill.

There is strategy involved. How low can your preferred player get in the draft before you lose him as a pick? How high should you pick a top talent, who shows NFL interest? Could a player you see as a 1st rounder be available much later?

Of course, #1, is judgment of talent. Here is the game breaker. The best teams do the best job judging the talent. They have the best, wisest, draft boards on the wall, figuratively, of their draft room. Fewer gross mistakes. More astute picks.

And then there is development. The best teams bring their players along as effective contributors. And this is true for top picks, all the way down to the bottom of the draft order.

This fan thinks we have done a much better job in the last handful of years. I don't think we have been the best at the draft, and we have not been the worst. Many wasted and blown picks over the years. Many gems also. Or maybe they were just lucky rolls of the dice. LOL

Steward. Fabien. Menard. Vaillancourt. Westerman. And many others. :thup:

Just IMO ...
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
User avatar
David
Team Captain
Posts: 9364
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2002 10:23 am
Location: Vancouver (Kitsilano)

Here is my assessment of our first rounders:

2004 - Oshio Atogwe
- gambled and lost. His last year at Stanford really turned NFL heads and he went onto outstanding NFL career. Still think we should have waited - that even in his junior year, he was a first round risk.
2005- Alexis Bwenge - draft fail
2006- Jason Pottinger - draft fail
2007- Adam Nicolson - massive draft fail
2008- Justin Sorensen - should have developed him. Gave up on him too soon. Not sure why. Didn't adequately give him a shot at centre.
2009- Jamall Lee - talent and athleticism was there but a good running back coach could have worked on his 'upright' ball carrying style. A wasted #1 pick but not the player's fault. Didn't give him an adequate shot and he got discouraged.
2010- Danny Watkins - gambled and lost. Not sure he was even interviewed properly (or at all). It was clear to me from Day 1 that he never had CFL aspirations, and that playing for the team in his home province meant very little. He was a firefighter that was skilled at playing football. Period.
2011- Marco Iannuzzi - I still view him as more valuable than others on this site (although I respect all opinions). A very adept punt returner. Isn't likely ever going to have a 100 yard receiving day, but serviceable on the field wideout spot nonetheless.
2012- Jabar Westerman - never really lived up to his potential IMO. Certainly had some strong games, but many other games just wasn't noticeable. It will be interesting to see what a change of scenery will do for him.
2013- Hunter Steward - a star in the making. Let's hope he sticks around long enough for us to see it.
2014- T-Dre Player - draft fail
2015- Ese Mrabure-Ajufo - never should have been taken in the first round. Not sure if this was Tedford's idea, but we got too cute by half and it bit us. Gone after 1 year.
2016- Charles Vaillencourt - certainly has the tools. Way too early to assess, but I have a feeling he's going to be an impact guard.


DH :cool:
Roar, You Lions, Roar
Blitz
Team Captain
Posts: 9094
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:44 am

David wrote:Here is my assessment of our first rounders:

2004 - Oshio Atogwe
- gambled and lost. His last year at Stanford really turned NFL heads and he went onto outstanding NFL career. Still think we should have waited - that even in his junior year, he was a first round risk.
2005- Alexis Bwenge - draft fail
2006- Jason Pottinger - draft fail
2007- Adam Nicolson - massive draft fail
2008- Justin Sorensen - should have developed him. Gave up on him too soon. Not sure why. Didn't adequately give him a shot at centre.
2009- Jamall Lee - talent and athleticism was there but a good running back coach could have worked on his 'upright' ball carrying style. A wasted #1 pick but not the player's fault. Didn't give him an adequate shot and he got discouraged.
2010- Danny Watkins - gambled and lost. Not sure he was even interviewed properly (or at all). It was clear to me from Day 1 that he never had CFL aspirations, and that playing for the team in his home province meant very little. He was a firefighter that was skilled at playing football. Period.
2011- Marco Iannuzzi - I still view him as more valuable than others on this site (although I respect all opinions). A very adept punt returner. Isn't likely ever going to have a 100 yard receiving day, but serviceable on the field wideout spot nonetheless.
2012- Jabar Westerman - never really lived up to his potential IMO. Certainly had some strong games, but many other games just wasn't noticeable. It will be interesting to see what a change of scenery will do for him.
2013- Hunter Steward - a star in the making. Let's hope he sticks around long enough for us to see it.
2014- T-Dre Player - draft fail
2015- Ese Mrabure-Ajufo - never should have been taken in the first round. Not sure if this was Tedford's idea, but we got too cute by half and it bit us. Gone after 1 year.
2016- Charles Vaillencourt - certainly has the tools. Way too early to assess, but I have a feeling he's going to be an impact guard.


DH :cool:
I really like Vaillencourt's potential at guard. He is strong, huge (330 lbs), tough, aggressive, and has a mean streak. Vailencourt is primed to start this season. This is what Vaillencourt said in a Matt Baker article.
Despite all of these possibilities, Vaillancourt admits it will be difficult for all of them to adjust without the help and guidance of seven-time all-star Jovan Olafioye.

“It’s a big hole that’s for sure. Jovan is hard to replace. He was the heart and soul of our o-line and one of the greatest veterans I met on this team. He was able to help me if I had any questions. He was always there for everybody.

It’s a big loss but we have a lot of big players behind them and Foucault is a good young guy who can play left tackle. I am not sure how it will play out but it should be a good fight to see who starts.”
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
Blitz
Team Captain
Posts: 9094
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:44 am

Marshall Ferguson has analyzed the final Scouting Bureau rankings. Its an interesting read.

I think Justin Senior will be coming off the board for CFL teams. Senior is the 7th ranked best offensive tackle for this year's NFL draft. His size and talent will have him on an NFL roster or practice roster for this upcoming football season. Senior will probably be moved to right guard in the NFL. He doesn't have the long arms to start as an NFL pro tackle.

Eli Enkou will likely be off the board for Round 1 for CFL teams. Enkou likely won't get drafted by the NFL but its a thin class this year at defensive tackle for the NFL draft and Enkou will likely be signed by an NFL team for 2017, as there are very few college tackles this season with his combination of size and speed.

Geoff Gray has also drawn interest from several NFL teams. He is versataile and that will also likely means that he will be kicking around down south in some capacity this season.

That information, unless a CFL team really wants to take a risk, means that receiver Danny Vandervort as the real top draft choice in this year's draft. The big question is would Winnipeg take a chance on Winnipeg native Gray or go with a receiver in Vandervort. Julian Feoli-Gudino looked good late in the season with the Bombers. I think the Bombers could select Mason Woods, Faith Ekakitie, or Chris Mulumba with their first choice.

Obviously, who Winnipeg and Saskatchewan select is going to have a major impact on our selection at #3.

I like our Leos going with offensive and defensive linemen and there are some good ones in this year's draft that could be available to us, including Faith Ekakitie, Mason Woods, Dariusz Bladek, Qadr Spooner, Junior Luke, Kay Okafor, Braden Schram, Kay Okafor, (and Fabian Foote.

I hope we avoid Kwaku Boateng, who is a wide outside edge rusher who will likely not have the same kind of success with that playing style in the pros.

Another position that we could draft for is field corner. For this 2017 season, we have Kenyan Parker and Wally signed free agent Matt Bucknor to back up that spot. There are two very good prospects for defensive back In this year's draft: Robert Woodson and Dondre Wright.

But we have Anthony Thompson who I would love to see given a shot at free safety but Washington seems to be in love with Mike Edem. I thought we were fortunate to get Thompson last year in the second round. The CFL scouting bureau had projected Thompson as a first round draft choice at one point in 2016. He is fast, aggressive and confident. We also have backup safety Eric Fraser. If we draft a defensive back he would need to have the ability to play field side corner. If Dondre Wright is available when we draft in the second round, he would fit the bill but I'm still partial to offensive and defensive lineman for our first two rounds

I sure hope we don't take a linebacker with our first two choices, even if Chris Mulumba was available . We won't start a National linebacker - we had Lokombo here and barely used him in a rotation and chose to insert Aragki instead, when we went to a 3-4 defense last season, at times. Our first round draft choices should have a focus on players who can start in the future.

We could also select a receiver, with Vandervoot, if available, Antony Auclair (who we would have no clue how to use properly and will likely get a look south) or Nate Behar at #7 but I hope we don't. We already have talent in Adekolu, Blaszko, Brett and Shaq Johnson as National backups for the fifth receiver National position, and no one is replacing Iannuzzi anytimes soon unless he becomes Polish. :wink:

Who do I really like in this year's CFL draft, other than the top 3 prospects for our Leos. I see the best upside in Dariusz Bladek, Qadr Spooner, and Kay Okafor, and Okafor could be available at #16 but wouldn't bank on it.
Marshall Ferguson
CFL.ca

The third and final edition of the 2017 CFL Scouting Bureau Top 20 ranking is here with plenty of movement, including five players who were previously NOT RANKED!

While Justin Senior retained his No. 1 ranking for the third time in a row, there was plenty of juggling outside of that with Geoff Gray (3), Danny Vandervoort (4) and Faith Ekakitie (5) moving into the top-five for the first time.

Meanwhile, Braden Schram, Johnny Augustine, Fabion Foote, Dondre Wright and Connor McGough are the new additions to the ranking.

Here’s how it all breaks down ahead of the 2017 CFL Draft on May 7:

20. Calgary DE Connor McGough (NR -> NR -> 20)

Previously unranked, McGough had a really nice showing in 1-on-1s at the national combine and showed unique movement skills. At just over 6 feet tall and 247 pounds, it’s likely that McGough is a hybrid end and special teamer quickly.

19. Henderson State DB Dondre Wright (NR -> NR -> 19)

My top-ranked defensive back is making his first appearance on a scouting bureau list but still trails behind fellow DB Robert Woodson from Calgary at No. 14. Both are great players, but for my money I would want Wright for his physicality and mean streak.

18. McMaster DL Fabion Foote (NR -> NR -> 18)

Foote had the 11th best defensive line broad jump ever at a CFL combine and hit high numbers all around. Very good lateral movement skills for his 276-pound frame and an increased sense of urgency seen on tape in his 2016 season at McMaster.
In an apples to apples evaluation at the combine next to Kwaku Boateng, Foote was right there but the overall four-year production of Boateng leads the bureau to a lower ranking for Foote.

17. Guelph RB Johnny Augustine (NR -> NR -> 17)

Guelph’s Johnny Augustine parlayed a strong combine showing into a top-20 ranking (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)He didn’t run the 40 he wanted at combine but a great all-around athlete who surprised many with his route running and hands at the combine. Augustine wants to be a starter in the CFL and while that’s a lofty goal, his combination of hands, pass blocking fundamentals and solid physique makes you think it could be a realistic possibility within the next five years.

Augustine is a purrfect fit for a team that wants to add ratio flexibility in the back field in a developmental second- or third-string running back.

16. Calgary OL Braden Schram (NR -> NR -> 16)

Solid, safe, rarely makes mistakes and showed more athleticism at the combine than many expected from his film. It seems like there is a rule in the CFL draft process that at least one Calgary Dinos offensive lineman must be involved in the top end of the draft.Jordan Filippelli began in that conversation as the rightful suitor but after a lacklustre combine comparative to Schram, Braden is the right fit.

Every time I watch him on tape all I can think is ‘solid’. Solid base, solid strong upper body, solid footwork, solid fundamentals.

15. St.FX DL Kay Okafor (17 -> 19 -> 15)

Okafor was 17th in the September rankings but fell to 19th after his sports season wrapped up with an injury in the Loney Bowl. As I have said many times throughout the evaluation process, Kay is raw but has the highest ceiling of any player in this draft. The only reason he does not land higher, in my opinion, on the final scouting bureau list is that potential guarantees nothing and all the physical gifts in the world need to be accommodated with effort, enthusiasm and technical knowledge.

After meeting Okafor at the combine and watching him in pads I have no doubt he will develop a complete game but for now he lands at 15th on the final pre-draft evaluation.

14. Calgary DB Robert Woodson (12 -> 17 -> 14)

Did exactly what he needed to at the combine.. ran well and carried himself in a way that says ‘I’m ready to be a pro’. Woodson is all about hustle, energy and explosion to the football.

13. McGill OL Qadr Spooner (9 -> 13 -> 13)

Qadr Spooner remains a prospect worth watching after dominating one-on-ones at the combine (Arthur Ward/CFL.ca)
Spooner holds his ranking from December at 13 following a combine where he held his own in multiple padded reps and was significantly stronger than I anticipated. On film, Spooner loves to finish plays by tossing aside defenders with great ease and isn’t afraid to go for a jog to find a potential victim of his lower body blocking power.

12. Laurier DL Kwaku Boateng (2 -> 6 -> 12)

The curious case of bureau opinion on Kwaku Boateng continues. Kwaku is down six spots from December and 10 spots from the initial September rankings — despite playing a key role on a Yates Cup Championship Laurier squad and testing well. Perhaps his value has lowered as scouts get a closer look at his stature and wide edge rusher technique, possibly devaluing his stock as there aren’t many teams employing that type of edge attacker.

Regardless of ranking, Boateng’s a great football player and I still believe a late first round pick.

11. Montreal DL Junior Luke (13 -> 9 -> 11)
Luke did not show the same speed around the edge or pure power I expected after watching his game film but he has remained a top end prospect due to that type and his traditional tackle size.

10. Bethune-Cookman OL Dariusz Bladek (NR -> 15 -> 10)

Dariusz Bladek is one of the CFL Draft’s more intriguing offensive line prospects (Bethune-Cookman University). Bladek has been training and waiting for the chance to play in the CFL for over a year now after barely missing the deadline to qualify for the 2016 supplemental draft after acquiring national status. He’s a well rounded, thick wrecking ball between the tackles who should make any team that drafts him May 7 happy.

9. Carleton REC Nate Behar (8 -> 12 -> 9)

Behar’s talent has never been in doubt since Carleton’s season ended in early November, but his ranking has. Behar has jumped from eighth, back to 12th and now down to ninth. The 6-foot, 200-pound London, Ont. native showed his strong hands and elite route running at the CFL’s national combine in a way that demanded he return to the top 10.

8. Idaho OL Mason Woods (15 -> 10 -> 8)

The big man from Port Coquitlam, B.C. continues to rise in the rankings after starting 15th back in September. Despite struggling in one-on-one’s in Regina, his frame and game tape while at Idaho are undeniable. I am surprised there wasn’t more of a drop for Woods after the combine. While having him unranked would be ridiculous off one weekend of evaluation, I did think he would land somewhere in the mid-teens with others such as McGill offensive lineman Qadr Spooner taking his spot in the top end of blocker evaluation.

7. Laval TE Antony Auclair (10 -> 2 -> 7)

In hindsight, it feels like the December ranking of Auclair at No. 2 was a bit of a reach but the natural ebb and flow of off-season evaluation now has him in the right region. A late first round talent with a possibly lower landing spot due to NFL interest.

6. Maine LB Chris Mulumba (6 -> 8 -> 6)

Chris Mulumba remains the top-ranked linebacker in the scouting bureau’s ranking (University of Maine Athletics). At six feet tall, 237 pounds, Chris Mulumba ran a 4.77 40-yard dash at his Maine pro day showing a nice combination of size and speed required to be a highly-rated interior linebacker in the Canadian football League. Unfortunately, that pro day conflicted with the CFL’s national combine so Mulumba was not in Regina allowing full evaluation but it shouldn’t hurt his draft stock as the top rated linebacker in the 2017 draft.

5. Iowa DL Faith Ekakitie (14 -> 11 -> 5)

One of the few consistent risers among all three scouting bureau rankings, Faith moved from 14th to 11th and now fifth due to a couple of really nice pro day numbers and the fact he’s a little bit smaller than some other NCAA prospects and more likely to be seen in the CFL.

I watched some Iowa games live on television this year to check him out as he was more than serviceable as a rotational defensive lineman against top end opponents such as Michigan. I think he’d be a great fit for the Canadian Football League if and when he does arrives and dons the colours of whatever team drafts him.

4. McMaster REC Danny Vandervoort (3 -> 7 -> 4)

Vandervoort put everything on display at the national combine. The natural hands and ability to high point the football, which won him 2013 CIS Rookie of the Year, haven’t gone anywhere and he rises from seventh in December to fourth ahead of the draft.

3. Manitoba OL Geoff Gray (11 -> 5 -> 3)

Is Manitoba’s Geoff Gray the top candidate to go first overall in the draft? (Jeff Miller/Bison Sports). After a strong showing at both the East-West Shrine Bowl and his unicycle-riding pro day, Geoff Gray continues to impress scouts on both sides of the border. Despite his NFL interest, it might be worth the risk for Winnipeg to take Gray with the first overall selection on May 7 in hopes that they can solidify their offensive line for years to come with a home grown product ready to play immediately.

2. UCLA DL Eli Ankou (5 -> 3 -> 2)

The Ottawa native did exactly what he needed to at his UCLA pro day to stay in the NFL conversation and has the type of burst off the line of scrimmage at 6-foot-3, 331 pounds that says he might not be seen in a CFL uniform for a while.

1. Mississippi State OL Justin Senior (1 -> 1 -> 1)

Senior finishes where he started back in September when he was originally ranked first on the central scouting bureau’s list of top 2017 draft eligible prospects. After competing at the NCAA’s Senior Bowl and attending the NFL combine, look for Senior to be drafted on the second or third day of the NFL draft as that will directly affect his stock for the CFL draft on TSN May 7.

After watching Senior with a close eye I think he has very real trouble with a couple of things, mainly interior pass rush moves and quickness off the ball in the run game. That isn’t enough to remove him from being the top man though due to his size and ability to dominate pure edge rushers.
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
Blitz
Team Captain
Posts: 9094
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:44 am

Marshall Ferguson has analyzed the final Scouting Bureau rankings. Its an interesting read.

I think Justin Senior will be coming off the board for CFL teams. Senior is the 7th ranked best offensive tackle for this year's NFL draft. His size and talent will have him on an NFL roster or practice roster for this upcoming football season. Senior will probably be moved to right guard in the NFL. He doesn't have the long arms to start as an NFL pro tackle.

Eli Enkou will likely be off the board for Round 1 for CFL teams. Enkou likely won't get drafted by the NFL but its a thin class this year at defensive tackle for the NFL draft and Enkou will likely be signed by an NFL team for 2017, as there are very few college tackles this season with his combination of size and speed.

Geoff Gray has also drawn interest from several NFL teams. He is versataile and that will also likely means that he will be kicking around down south in some capacity this season.

That information, unless a CFL team really wants to take a risk, means that receiver Danny Vandervort as the real top draft choice in this year's draft. The big question is would Winnipeg take a chance on Winnipeg native Gray or go with a receiver in Vandervort. Julian Feoli-Gudino looked good late in the season with the Bombers. I think the Bombers could select Mason Woods, Faith Ekakitie, or Chris Mulumba with their first choice.

Obviously, who Winnipeg and Saskatchewan select is going to have a major impact on our selection at #3.

I like our Leos going with offensive and defensive linemen and there are some good ones in this year's draft that could be available to us, including Faith Ekakitie, Mason Woods, Dariusz Bladek, Qadr Spooner, Junior Luke, Kay Okafor, Braden Schram, Kay Okafor, (and Fabian Foote.

I hope we avoid Kwaku Boateng, who is a wide outside edge rusher who will likely not have the same kind of success with that playing style in the pros.

Another position that we could draft for is field corner. For this 2017 season, we have Kenyan Parker and Wally signed free agent Matt Bucknor to back up that spot. There are two very good prospects for defensive back In this year's draft: Robert Woodson and Dondre Wright.

But we have Anthony Thompson who I would love to see given a shot at free safety but Washington seems to be in love with Mike Edem. I thought we were fortunate to get Thompson last year in the second round. The CFL scouting bureau projected Thompson as a first round draft choice at one point in 2016. He's fast, aggressive and confident. We also have backup safety Eric Fraser. If we draft a defensive back he would need to have the ability to play field side corner. If Dondre Wright is available when we draft in the second round, he would fit the bill but I'm still partial to offensive and defensive lineman for our first two rounds

I sure hope we don't take a linebacker with our first two choices, even if Chris Mulumba was available . We won't start a National linebacker - we had Lokombo here and barely used him in a rotation and chose to insert Aragki instead, when we went to a 3-4 defense last season, at times. Our first round draft choices should have a focus on players who can start in the future.

We could also select a receiver, with Vandervoot, if available, Antony Auclair (who we would have no clue how to use properly and will likely get a look south) or Nate Behar at #7 but I hope we don't. We already have talent in Adekolu, Blaszko, and Shaq Johnson as National backups for the fifth receiver National position, and no one is replacing Iannuzzi anytimes soon unless he becomes Polish. :wink:

Who do I really like in this year's CFL draft, other than the top 3 prospects for our Leos. I see the best upside in Dariusz Bladek, Qadr Spooner, and Kay Okafor, and Okafor could be available at #16 but wouldn't bank on it.
Marshall Ferguson
CFL.ca

The third and final edition of the 2017 CFL Scouting Bureau Top 20 ranking is here with plenty of movement, including five players who were previously NOT RANKED!

While Justin Senior retained his No. 1 ranking for the third time in a row, there was plenty of juggling outside of that with Geoff Gray (3), Danny Vandervoort (4) and Faith Ekakitie (5) moving into the top-five for the first time.

Meanwhile, Braden Schram, Johnny Augustine, Fabion Foote, Dondre Wright and Connor McGough are the new additions to the ranking.

Here’s how it all breaks down ahead of the 2017 CFL Draft on May 7:

20. Calgary DE Connor McGough (NR -> NR -> 20)

Previously unranked, McGough had a really nice showing in 1-on-1s at the national combine and showed unique movement skills. At just over 6 feet tall and 247 pounds, it’s likely that McGough is a hybrid end and special teamer quickly.

19. Henderson State DB Dondre Wright (NR -> NR -> 19)

My top-ranked defensive back is making his first appearance on a scouting bureau list but still trails behind fellow DB Robert Woodson from Calgary at No. 14. Both are great players, but for my money I would want Wright for his physicality and mean streak.

18. McMaster DL Fabion Foote (NR -> NR -> 18)

Foote had the 11th best defensive line broad jump ever at a CFL combine and hit high numbers all around. Very good lateral movement skills for his 276-pound frame and an increased sense of urgency seen on tape in his 2016 season at McMaster.
In an apples to apples evaluation at the combine next to Kwaku Boateng, Foote was right there but the overall four-year production of Boateng leads the bureau to a lower ranking for Foote.

17. Guelph RB Johnny Augustine (NR -> NR -> 17)

Guelph’s Johnny Augustine parlayed a strong combine showing into a top-20 ranking (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)He didn’t run the 40 he wanted at combine but a great all-around athlete who surprised many with his route running and hands at the combine. Augustine wants to be a starter in the CFL and while that’s a lofty goal, his combination of hands, pass blocking fundamentals and solid physique makes you think it could be a realistic possibility within the next five years.

Augustine is a purrfect fit for a team that wants to add ratio flexibility in the back field in a developmental second- or third-string running back.

16. Calgary OL Braden Schram (NR -> NR -> 16)

Solid, safe, rarely makes mistakes and showed more athleticism at the combine than many expected from his film. It seems like there is a rule in the CFL draft process that at least one Calgary Dinos offensive lineman must be involved in the top end of the draft.Jordan Filippelli began in that conversation as the rightful suitor but after a lacklustre combine comparative to Schram, Braden is the right fit.

Every time I watch him on tape all I can think is ‘solid’. Solid base, solid strong upper body, solid footwork, solid fundamentals.

15. St.FX DL Kay Okafor (17 -> 19 -> 15)

Okafor was 17th in the September rankings but fell to 19th after his sports season wrapped up with an injury in the Loney Bowl. As I have said many times throughout the evaluation process, Kay is raw but has the highest ceiling of any player in this draft. The only reason he does not land higher, in my opinion, on the final scouting bureau list is that potential guarantees nothing and all the physical gifts in the world need to be accommodated with effort, enthusiasm and technical knowledge.

After meeting Okafor at the combine and watching him in pads I have no doubt he will develop a complete game but for now he lands at 15th on the final pre-draft evaluation.

14. Calgary DB Robert Woodson (12 -> 17 -> 14)

Did exactly what he needed to at the combine.. ran well and carried himself in a way that says ‘I’m ready to be a pro’. Woodson is all about hustle, energy and explosion to the football.

13. McGill OL Qadr Spooner (9 -> 13 -> 13)

Qadr Spooner remains a prospect worth watching after dominating one-on-ones at the combine (Arthur Ward/CFL.ca)
Spooner holds his ranking from December at 13 following a combine where he held his own in multiple padded reps and was significantly stronger than I anticipated. On film, Spooner loves to finish plays by tossing aside defenders with great ease and isn’t afraid to go for a jog to find a potential victim of his lower body blocking power.

12. Laurier DL Kwaku Boateng (2 -> 6 -> 12)

The curious case of bureau opinion on Kwaku Boateng continues. Kwaku is down six spots from December and 10 spots from the initial September rankings — despite playing a key role on a Yates Cup Championship Laurier squad and testing well. Perhaps his value has lowered as scouts get a closer look at his stature and wide edge rusher technique, possibly devaluing his stock as there aren’t many teams employing that type of edge attacker.

Regardless of ranking, Boateng’s a great football player and I still believe a late first round pick.

11. Montreal DL Junior Luke (13 -> 9 -> 11)
Luke did not show the same speed around the edge or pure power I expected after watching his game film but he has remained a top end prospect due to that type and his traditional tackle size.

10. Bethune-Cookman OL Dariusz Bladek (NR -> 15 -> 10)

Dariusz Bladek is one of the CFL Draft’s more intriguing offensive line prospects (Bethune-Cookman University). Bladek has been training and waiting for the chance to play in the CFL for over a year now after barely missing the deadline to qualify for the 2016 supplemental draft after acquiring national status. He’s a well rounded, thick wrecking ball between the tackles who should make any team that drafts him May 7 happy.

9. Carleton REC Nate Behar (8 -> 12 -> 9)

Behar’s talent has never been in doubt since Carleton’s season ended in early November, but his ranking has. Behar has jumped from eighth, back to 12th and now down to ninth. The 6-foot, 200-pound London, Ont. native showed his strong hands and elite route running at the CFL’s national combine in a way that demanded he return to the top 10.

8. Idaho OL Mason Woods (15 -> 10 -> 8)

The big man from Port Coquitlam, B.C. continues to rise in the rankings after starting 15th back in September. Despite struggling in one-on-one’s in Regina, his frame and game tape while at Idaho are undeniable. I am surprised there wasn’t more of a drop for Woods after the combine. While having him unranked would be ridiculous off one weekend of evaluation, I did think he would land somewhere in the mid-teens with others such as McGill offensive lineman Qadr Spooner taking his spot in the top end of blocker evaluation.

7. Laval TE Antony Auclair (10 -> 2 -> 7)

In hindsight, it feels like the December ranking of Auclair at No. 2 was a bit of a reach but the natural ebb and flow of off-season evaluation now has him in the right region. A late first round talent with a possibly lower landing spot due to NFL interest.

6. Maine LB Chris Mulumba (6 -> 8 -> 6)

Chris Mulumba remains the top-ranked linebacker in the scouting bureau’s ranking (University of Maine Athletics). At six feet tall, 237 pounds, Chris Mulumba ran a 4.77 40-yard dash at his Maine pro day showing a nice combination of size and speed required to be a highly-rated interior linebacker in the Canadian football League. Unfortunately, that pro day conflicted with the CFL’s national combine so Mulumba was not in Regina allowing full evaluation but it shouldn’t hurt his draft stock as the top rated linebacker in the 2017 draft.

5. Iowa DL Faith Ekakitie (14 -> 11 -> 5)

One of the few consistent risers among all three scouting bureau rankings, Faith moved from 14th to 11th and now fifth due to a couple of really nice pro day numbers and the fact he’s a little bit smaller than some other NCAA prospects and more likely to be seen in the CFL.

I watched some Iowa games live on television this year to check him out as he was more than serviceable as a rotational defensive lineman against top end opponents such as Michigan. I think he’d be a great fit for the Canadian Football League if and when he does arrives and dons the colours of whatever team drafts him.

4. McMaster REC Danny Vandervoort (3 -> 7 -> 4)

Vandervoort put everything on display at the national combine. The natural hands and ability to high point the football, which won him 2013 CIS Rookie of the Year, haven’t gone anywhere and he rises from seventh in December to fourth ahead of the draft.

3. Manitoba OL Geoff Gray (11 -> 5 -> 3)

Is Manitoba’s Geoff Gray the top candidate to go first overall in the draft? (Jeff Miller/Bison Sports). After a strong showing at both the East-West Shrine Bowl and his unicycle-riding pro day, Geoff Gray continues to impress scouts on both sides of the border. Despite his NFL interest, it might be worth the risk for Winnipeg to take Gray with the first overall selection on May 7 in hopes that they can solidify their offensive line for years to come with a home grown product ready to play immediately.

2. UCLA DL Eli Ankou (5 -> 3 -> 2)

The Ottawa native did exactly what he needed to at his UCLA pro day to stay in the NFL conversation and has the type of burst off the line of scrimmage at 6-foot-3, 331 pounds that says he might not be seen in a CFL uniform for a while.

1. Mississippi State OL Justin Senior (1 -> 1 -> 1)

Senior finishes where he started back in September when he was originally ranked first on the central scouting bureau’s list of top 2017 draft eligible prospects. After competing at the NCAA’s Senior Bowl and attending the NFL combine, look for Senior to be drafted on the second or third day of the NFL draft as that will directly affect his stock for the CFL draft on TSN May 7.

After watching Senior with a close eye I think he has very real trouble with a couple of things, mainly interior pass rush moves and quickness off the ball in the run game. That isn’t enough to remove him from being the top man though due to his size and ability to dominate pure edge rushers.
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
User avatar
David
Team Captain
Posts: 9364
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2002 10:23 am
Location: Vancouver (Kitsilano)

Blitz wrote:....and no one is replacing Iannuzzi anytimes soon unless he becomes Polish. :wink:
So what are you saying, Blitz? That Marco Iannuzzi, Dino Valli, and Richie Leone were all given favourable treatment around here from Buono and Dorazio because their last names end with a vowel? :)


DH :cool:
Roar, You Lions, Roar
Blitz
Team Captain
Posts: 9094
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:44 am

David wrote:
Blitz wrote:....and no one is replacing Iannuzzi anytimes soon unless he becomes Polish. :wink:
So what are you saying, Blitz? That Marco Iannuzzi, Dino Valli, and Richie Leone were all given favourable treatment around here from Buono and Dorazio because their last names end with a vowel? :)


DH :cool:
How could you assume David, that I was thinking that way, when I attempted to be so subtle about it!! :wink:

But if I was trying out for the Leos, I certainly would be using one of my middle names (Milan) as my 'handle' or better still, changing my first name to Adriano, Aldo, Gino, Dino, Giovanni, Ricardo, or Roberto. Every edge helps!! :wink:
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
User avatar
B.C.FAN
Team Captain
Posts: 12579
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 10:28 pm

Iannuzzi and Adekolu have been everywhere this offseason, representing the Lions in the community. That probably helps solidify their roles on the team.
Blitz
Team Captain
Posts: 9094
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:44 am

B.C.FAN wrote:Iannuzzi and Adekolu have been everywhere this offseason, representing the Lions in the community. That probably helps solidify their roles on the team.
It does but Olifioye did a lot of community work too and he is now eating poutine and learning French. :wink:
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
Post Reply