THREE CANADIANS SELECTED IN THE 2022 NFL DRAFT

NFL / Football

Written by Joel Lefevre

The NFL draft has come and gone, with several players fulfilling what has been a lifelong dream of moving up to play professional football. There were three Canadians chosen in 2022, one fewer than the record set in 2021. Here is a look at those three lucky players and what they bring to the table for their new teams.

George Karlaftis | Source (Background Photo/s): Getty Images

John Metchie III- wide receiver- Round 2- 44th overall selection by the Houston Texans

John Metchie is taking his talents to the AFC South after being selected 44th overall by the Houston Texans. The 21-year-old from Brampton, Ontario, spent his entire college career with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Just being a part of a program as big as that one had to have been quite the learning experience for him. When you play for a school where football is life you have a winning mentality with the mindset that being number one is all that matters.

As they say, everything is big in Texas, and Metchie fits that philosophy to a tee as he put up some huge numbers with the Crimson Tide in 2021. Metchie tallied 96 receptions for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns last year but sadly missed the SEC Championship game versus the Georgia Bulldogs with a torn ACL. The fact that the Texans made a trade with the Cleveland Browns to move up and grab the young Canadian shows that there were teams out there who were not concerned about his previous injury.

In 2020 and 2021, Metchie won the Jon Cornish Trophy as the top Canadian in NCAA football. Even though he didn’t get to appear in the big game last season, he has proven that he can play at his best in pressure-packed situations. Metchie recorded 81 yards receiving on eight catches to help Bama win the national championship over Ohio State in 2020.

Deane Leonard- cornerback- Round 7- 236th overall selection by the Los Angeles Chargers

It took another five rounds before an NFL team decided to snap up another Canadian, and it was a team from the AFC with a track record of recruiting young prospects from north of the border. The addition of Deane Leonard makes him the sixth player on the Los Angeles Chargers roster heading into training camp. That should be a considerable benefit for Leonard having familiar faces who can relate to him as he looks to crack the opening roster. Leonard had a great career in Canadian University football before taking his talents down south.

A two-time All-Canadian, Leonard came to Ole Miss from the Calgary Dinos after helping his hometown capture the Vanier Cup in 2019. In 11 games with the Rebels last year, Leonard registered 50 tackles and had seven pass breakups. He was taken at #18 by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last year in the CFL draft, and although he didn’t attend the NFL combine, he did post an impressive 4.39 seconds at the 40-yard dash at the Ole Miss pro day.

Football runs in his family as his father, Kenton, spent seven seasons in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders.

Jesse Luketa- linebacker- Round 7- 256th overall selection by the Arizona Cardinals

Rounding out the list of Canadians chosen was Penn State linebacker Jesse Luketa. The six-foot-three, 247-pound player spent three seasons with the Nittany Lions before turning into a defensive end last season.

The versatile defender from our nation’s capital in Ottawa has size, strength and versatility, which could make him a valuable commodity in this league. In 2021 he had 61 tackles, plus a half-sack and one interception. His strong performance at the Senior Bowl may have been why the Cardinals decided to take a chance on him, as he had two sacks, one of which was a strip-sack at an event that many top scouts attend annually.