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May 1, 2017

CFL Draft | Picture Becoming Clearer

It can be a tricky task in following the trail to the top pick in the Canadian Football League Draft.

There are twists and turns, slippery ledges and overgrown sections that challenge even the most daring adventurer. And so, when part of this trail comes into focus – just as it did over the weekend during and after the National Football League Draft down south – the CFL’s nine GMs tend to fret the whole thing a little less.

Maybe that, in part, explains why Winnipeg Blue Bombers GM Kyle Walters was the picture of calm, cool and collected on Monday, just a few days in advance of calling out the first name in Sunday’s CFL Draft.

Some of the best Canadian talent was gobbled up on the weekend – the top three prospects according to the final CFL Scouting Bureau were either drafted or signed as priority free agents – but Walters was staring at the names on his draft board and still seeing some talented and intriguing names.

“The weekend played out the way we thought, to be honest,” said Walters. “It doesn’t change our draft board a whole lot, it just confirms what we thought.

“It brings us back to the same position: if we draft one of these guys, when are we going to see them?”

The top-ranked player in the CFL Draft, Mississippi State offensive lineman Justin Senior, was the lone Canadian drafted after being selected in the sixth round by the Seattle Seahawks.

Geoff Gray (centre) returns to Bisons Spring Camp after signing with the Green Bay Packers.

Geoff Gray (centre) returns to Bisons Spring Camp after signing with the Green Bay Packers.

Not long after the NFL Draft ended, the Houston Texans signed UCLA defensive tackle Eli Ankou, ranked second; third-ranked University of Manitoba Bisons guard Geoff Gray agreed to a new deal with the Green Bay Packers, while Laval slotback/tight end Antony Auclair, ranked seventh, was gobbled up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Those three, as priority free agents, will get long looks by their NFL clubs at main training camps this summer and could either crack the lineup or stick around on the practice roster.

A number of CFL Draft prospects have also earned invitations to NFL mini-camps, but they will remain longshots to actually stick around for main training camp.

So how does all this impact the Bombers draft board, knowing they have four of the picks in the Top 23 at 1, 6, 15 and 23?

“Everybody would have been hoping the Geoff Grays and (Eli) Ankous wouldn’t sign as priority free agents,” said Walters. “But nobody is surprised right now.

“The thing is, those big good athletes on the O-line, for example, nobody is going to potentially see them up here in the CFL for at least three years. NFL invest the time and money in those guys.

“They’re all good football players.”

Walters will meet with head coach Mike O’Shea and the team’s scouting department to nail down their Top 23 for Sunday’s CFL Draft. They are also doing more legwork on a couple of late additions to the draft list, especially UCLA linebacker Cameron Judge, and prospects who did not attend the combine in Regina at the end of March.

Walters said he has yet to be seriously approached about dealing the first-overall pick, but expects the sixth-overall selection could draw some interest closer to Sunday.

What the weekend’s NFL deals did provide was some clarity in the annual crapshoot that is the CFL Draft.

“When you go through this process, you go through every possible scenario,” said Walters. “We’ve had discussions about all these guys and whether we are prepared to wait two, three, four years to see them or risk not seeing them at all.”

 

THE BIG BLUE BOARD

A look at some of the Canadian Football League Draft prospects who have signed or drawn interest in the NFL and how it might impact the Bombers:

DRAFTED

  • OL Justin Senior, Mississippi State

 

Selected by Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round, 210th overall.
CFL Scouting Bureau Ranking: 1
What it means to the Bombers: No surprise whatsoever he was drafted. He’s been atop the CFL rankings for a year, but the NFL interest meant he was likely never really on the Bombers radar screen.

PRIORITY FREE AGENTS

  • DL Eli Ankou, UCLA

 

Signed by Houston Texans
CFL Scouting Bureau Ranking: 2
What it means to the Bombers: Defensive tackle is an area the club is likely targeting, but Ankou weighed in at 331 pounds for his pro day. He’d have to shed some weight if he comes north to the CFL, but is a risky pick early in the draft.


 

  • OL Geoff Gray, Manitoba

 

Signed by Green Bay Packers
CFL Scouting Bureau Ranking: 3
What it means to the Bombers: His showing at his pro day increased interest in the NFL. The three-year deal the Winnipeg product signed with the Pack and his athleticism means CFL teams might not see him for awhile, if ever.

 

  • SB/TE Antony Auclair, Laval

 

Signed by Tampa Bay Buccaneers
CFL Scouting Bureau Ranking: 7
What it means to the Bombers: He’s a massive receiver at 6-5, 254 pounds – perfect for playing the tight end in the NFL, but posing an interesting question for CFL teams: does he have the speed to play slotback or would he be better suited to play fullback?

 

MINI-CAMP INVITES

The Bombers believe most, if not all, of the mini-camp invitees will find their way to CFL training camps in late May.

  • LB Christophe Mulumba, Maine; Tampa Bay Buccaneers
    CFL Scouting Bureau Ranking: 6
  • DE Kwaku Boateng, Wilfrid Laurier; Chicago Bears
    CFL Scouting Bureau Ranking: 12
  • LB Jordan Herdman, Simon Fraser; Kansas City Chiefs
    CFL Scouting Bureau Ranking: NR
  • REC Alex Morrison, UBC; New York Giants
    CFL Scouting Bureau Ranking: NR
  • K Felix Menard-Briere, Montreal; New York Giants