CFL DRAFT TAKEAWAYS

NFL / Football

Written by Joel Lefevre

After months of scouting, evaluation, and discussions among the nine Canadian teams, the 2022 CFL draft has come and gone. There were plenty of intrigues right up until the draft began, and several clubs were looking to make a big splash heading into the season. That being said, here are my takeaways from what transpired.

Source (Background Photo/s): Jeff Sargeant (UBC Communications)

1. Trading Places

There were many last-minute changes to the draft order, with teams looking to ensure they get a chance to select the talented Canadians who were on the board.

Danny Maciocia and the Montreal Alouettes were among the big movers and shakers, as the former Edmonton GM and coach made a deal with his former team to choose first. They selected the player that most of us had anticipated in Syracuse linebacker Tyrell Richards. Chris Jones and the Elks took the Als spot at number four, going with defensive back Enock Makonzo. The Alouettes were not done yet, though, as they made a deal with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to earn the final selection of the opening round, going with Tyson Philpot from the University of Calgary. Three trades were made in the first round, the most since 2020. Five deals in total were made in all eight rounds.

2. Defense rules the day

There was a lot of hype about some of the high-profile offensive weapons in this draft, such as the Philpot brothers and Waterloo quarterback Tre Ford. While it was no surprise that all three of them were chosen in the opening round, the teams near the top of the draft order were looking to shore up their defences. In five of the eight rounds, the first player selected was a defensive one as Toronto made a deal with Edmonton to select Deionte Knight with the opening selection in round 2. Three of the first four selections in round one were defensive players, including Richards, defensive lineman Nathan Cherry (#3 BC Lions), and Makonzo.

3. Supporting Locals

Unlike Canadian drafts in recent memory, some of the top selections earlier this week came from University programs across this country. A total of six players who were previously featured at U Sports schools were taken in the first round, with the University of Ottawa, Saskatchewan, Calgary (two), Waterloo, and St. Francis Xavier all being represented. That’s the highest number of players taken that early from U Sports programs since 2017 when six different Canadian Universities saw a former player selected.

4. Moving up the line

Offensive linemen were not a big talking point going into selection night, as most experts believed that we might not see one chosen until late in the second round at the earliest. While there were only two taken in the opening round, that’s two more than anyone would have projected. Zack Pelehos was the first one off the board, with the University of Ottawa alumni going to Redblacks at #2, while Gregor MacKellar went to the Toronto Argonauts at #6.

The lesson we saw in the opening round is that linemen are highly valued in this league regardless of what we hear pundits say. They do not get the glory that receivers and QBs do, however, coaches and scouts clearly recognize their value to a team.

5. Better to receive than to give

There were several players taken with tremendous upside and potential. The big story on the offensive side was that some dynamic wide receivers came off the board. Three receivers were chosen among the first nine selections, the most at that position since 2011. Despite putting in a sub-par performance at the combine, Tyson and Jalen Philpot were taken in the opening round. Jalen stayed in Calgary to join the Stampeders, and Tyson took his talents to La Belle Province in Montreal. The other receiver chosen was an NCAA prospect with a lot to offer, Samuel Emilus will hope to be the next great Louisiana Tech product to make his mark in this league, like Matt Dunigan, Joe Smith, Michael Richardson, and John Henry White to name a few.

These receivers taken have a ton of potential, speed, and breakaway capabilities, making for what should be an enjoyable 2022 season.