1st & 10 | Blue Bombers at the draft — Part 1

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers current regime has scored dynamic, franchise-changing touchdowns on draft day. And, on rare occasions, they’ve stumbled and fumbled into their own end zone, too.

That’s no different for any team in any professional league, but especially so in the most unique and difficult talent selection on the planet to predict — the Canadian Football League’s Canadian draft.

The Blue Bombers are into the stretch run of final preparations for next Tuesday’s CFL Canadian Draft —  the two-round Global Draft goes a day later — with this being the 13th homegrown talent grab led by GM Kyle Walters, head coach Mike O’Shea and also including input from Senior Director of Player Personnel Eric Deslauriers and Director of Football Operations Matt Gulakow.

The biggest star they’ve landed over the previous 12 incarnations of the CFL Canadian Draft is Brady Oliveira, the league’s Most Outstanding Player in 2024 who was also twice named the Most Outstanding Canadian and is in the express lane to the hall of fame.

Over the years they’ve also selected CFL All-Stars like Tyrell Ford, Matthias Goossen and Taylor Loffler, offensive line starters like Sukh Chungh, Gabe Wallace, Liam Dobson, Michael Couture, Geoff Gray and Drew Desjarlais along with important pieces like Redha Kramdi and Kevens Clercius and valuable foot soldiers like Jesse Briggs, Shayne Gauthier, Nick Hallett and Tanner Cadwallader.

Winnipeg will pick fourth overall on Tuesday — its highest spot since taking Dobson third overall in 2021 — and has all of its selections in the eight-round draft, nine in total, including four picks in the top 24.

Last year’s class landed six players who suited up for the club in 2025 in linebackers Connor Shay, Jaylen Smith and Lane Novak, defensive back Ethan Ball, receiver Joey Corcoran and offensive lineman Ethan Vibert while two others — quarterback Taylor Elgersma and O-lineman Iwinosa Uwubanmwen — will be on the field in just over two weeks when training camp opens.

In this week’s edition of 1st & 10 we revisit the past drafts for Walters & Co with Part 2 — to be posted Monday — offering a more specific preview to the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft.

THE BLUE BOMBERS AT THE DRAFT

A look at the 12 previous draft classes of the current Bombers management regime:

2014

Matthias Goossen (61)

Notes:

• Traded second-round selection (11^th overall) and DE Alex Hall to Saskatchewan for OL Pat Neufeld and a fourth-round pick in 2015.
• Acquired Saskatchewan’s second-round pick (17^th overall) for the 20^th and 26^th overall selections.
• Acquired Toronto’s third-round selection (24^th overall) and OL Marc Parenteau for RB Anthony Woodson and a fifth-round pick in 2014 (38^th overall).
• Traded third-round selection (24^th overall) to Calgary for CB Chris Randle and the Stampeders third-round selection (26^th overall).

2015

Sukh Chungh

Notes:

• Acquired Saskatchewan’s second-round selection (15^th overall) and WR Kris Bastien for WR Cory Watson and a third-round selection (26^th overall) in this draft.
• Traded third-round selection (20^th overall) to Hamilton for DB Abraham Kromah.
• Acquired fourth-round pick (33^rd overall) along with OL Patrick Neufeld in an October 2013 trade with Saskatchewan for DE Alex Hall and a second-round pick in 2014 (11^th overall).
• Traded conditional pick (own fourth-round selection; 29^th overall) to Hamilton for QB Brian Brohm in March of 2014.
• Traded a conditional pick (which became the 7^th-round selection in this draft; 55^th overall) for QB Josh Portis.

2016

Shayne Gauthier

Notes:

• Forfeited first-round pick following selection of Garrett Waggoner, DB, Dartmouth, in 2015 CFL Supplemental Draft.
• Acquired Edmonton’s second-round selection (9^th overall) and DB Selvish Capers in a trade for OL Chris Greaves.

2017

Geoff Gray (68)

Notes:

• Acquired Toronto’s first-round selection (1^st overall), along with the Argos’ third-round selection in the 2018 draft (26^th overall; used to select Daniel Petermann) and DB T.J. Heath in September of 2016 trade for QB Drew Willy.
• Traded sixth overall pick to Calgary for the eighth overall selection (Gray) and the 34^th overall selection (Menard-Briere).
• Traded fourth-round selection (32^nd overall) to Montreal in September of 2016 for QB Kevin Glenn.
• Traded a conditional seventh-round selection to Edmonton in September of 2015 as part of the trade for QB Matt Nichols. The pick became a fifth rounder when Nichols became the Bombers starting QB.

2018

Daniel Petermann

Notes:

• Traded the seventh and 16^th overall selections in the 2018 draft to B.C. for the 12^th overall selection and the Lions’ original first-round pick in 2019.
• Forfeited third-round selection following selection of Drew Wolitarsky, WR, Minnesota, in the 2017 CFL Supplemental Draft.
• Acquired Toronto’s third-round selection in the 2018 draft, used to select Daniel Petermann, as part of the 2016 Drew Willy trade, along with DB T.J. Heath, the Argonauts’ first-round pick in 2017 (Faith Ekakitie).

2019

Brady Oliveira

Notes:

• Acquired B.C.’s first-round selection in this draft (4^th overall) and a second-round pick in 2018 (12^th overall) for the 7^th and 16^th overall selections in 2018.

2020

Tanner Cadwallader

Notes:

• Traded first-round pick (9^th overall) and third-round selection (28^th overall) to Toronto for QB Zach Collaros and a fifth-round pick (39^th overall).

2021

Redha Kramdi

Notes:

• The cancellation of the 2020 CFL season due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to changes for the draft, including the order of selection as there were no standings from ’20. The draft order was set by a random draw, with Winnipeg landing third overall selection. In the even-numbered rounds the reverse order was used for more balance in the selections.
• The number of rounds was reduced to six from eight because two draft classes – 2020 and 2021 would be in camp that spring.
• Traded the 52^nd overall selection and the rights to OL Cody Speller for the 48^th overall pick.

2022

Tyrell Ford

Notes:

• Ford played his rookie year with the Blue Bombers in 2022, then signed with the Green Bay Packers. He returned to the club in 2024 and was a CFL All-Star and has since signed with the Edmonton Elks to play with his twin brother, Tre.
• Traded the ninth and 18^th overall selections to Montreal for defensive tackle Cameron Lawson and the 13^th overall selection (Ford) in the draft.
• Round three selection was traded as part of the deal with B.C. in 2021 for kicker Sergio Castillo. Pick was a conditional fourth rounder but upgraded to a third afterwards.

2023

Tanner Schmekel

Notes:

• Bennett played in all 18 games and the playoffs as a rookie for the Blue Bombers in 2023 but missed the entire 2024 season with an injury. He signed with the Montreal Alouettes this winter.

2024

Kevens Clercius

Notes:

• The Blue Bombers traded their first-round pick, 8th overall, and their third-round selection, 28th overall to Calgary for the 13th and 14th picks.
• The 20th overall selection at the end of the second round was earned by the Blue Bombers for being one of two teams with the highest number of Canadian player snaps in 2023.
• Winnipeg secured an extra fifth-round pick (used to select Ethan Kalra) as part of the deal that sent QB Dru Brown’s negotiation rights to Ottawa prior to him becoming a free agent.

2025

Connor Shay

Notes:

• The Blue Bombers traded the 8th overall pick in the CFL Global Draft, DT Kyle Samson and the 36th selection in the 2025 CFL Draft to Hamilton for RB Matthew Peterson, second overall selection in the 2025 CFL Global Draft and the 39th pick in the CFL Canadian Draft.
• Winnipeg then used their Global pick on DE Kemari Munier-Bailey and the 39th selection on Corcoran.
• The Blue Bombers again earned an extra pick at the end of the second round for being one of two teams with the highest number of Canadian player snap counts and used it to select Elgersma.