Mike

Let's face it - this draft is not a monumentally strong one. #1 and #6 are great, but it's not a huge coup in a draft class like this. We're not going to get a #1 ranked player. Not even a #5 ranked player, in my mind. Ekakitie has potential, but I'm not expecting an impact guy. I'd like to trade the pick, but at the same time ... I don't necessarily think there's a huge market to trade up to #1 unless someone suddenly falls in love with a guy they know they can't get. I feel like IF we traded the first overall pick, Vandervoort probably goes #1 because someone is trying to get ahead of either BC or Hamilton at 3/4.

We could always use a guy like Judge. Look at Alex Singleton. Players like that can reshape your roster.

Yes, except I would imagine it'll be more of a 65/35 split for Jake.

I gotta say, I'm not thrilled with the "insights" Marshall Ferguson has brought to the table as the CFL Draft guru for the website.

Problem is, there are issues similar to this with most of these players. Ankou is the same way, it's been hinted at that he has very little interest in the CFL.

I'd bet a good chunk Vegas signs Dadonov as well. They're going to be interesting to watch. Dadonov and Shipachyov were almost certainly a package deal. I bet Dadonov signs for same term, maybe 1m-1.5m cheaper annually.

Ah, come on fellas. Shipachyov has the potential to be a legitimate first line center. Artemi Panarin coming over and succeeding has put a lot more interest into bringing guys like this in to play. VS has better numbers than Panarin did, and he plays the middle of the ice ... great signing.

HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE

Interesting, especially re: Conteh and Julan Lynch. Nothing else surprises me much. Morrison has been jumping up the charts.

I don't much like Boateng personally.

Well, we're ****ed.

I knew that.

The "I'm out of stuff to do at work today so I figured why not" 2017 CFL Mock Draft - first and only version Round One 1. Winnipeg - DL Faith Ekakitie (I'm going with the consensus on this one and while I wasn't a big fan going into the draft, watching the tape gives me some hope. He's definitely suited to a CFL field and his tape against Michigan wowed me enough to think he's a worthy first rounder. I don't LOVE him at number one and if we don't pick him here, it wouldn't shock me to see him available at 6 as well) 2. Saskatchewan - DB Dondre Wright (I'm a big fan of this kid and Jones is typically more unconventional than a lot of other GMs out there who wouldn't even dare going DB at 2 but I feel like Wright has the skills to be at least a 6th DB in a weak positional group for Jones) 3. BC - REC Danny Vandervoort (With Shawn Gore retiring, there's a need here. They've switched their ratio on D which means they need to stay consistent in their efforts to put a productive CDN WR on the field. Vandervoort can fill that need and then you go OL in the second pick you have) 4. Hamilton - OL Dariusz Bladek (the best OL available for mini-camp, this is late for the first OL to go off the board but it's not an exceptionally strong grouping this year. Hamilton has a definitive need for depth in the trenches) 5. Edmonton - REC Nate Behar (Brock Sunderland no doubt has seen a ton of Behar having been just down the road in his previous job. Nate Coehoorn retiring presents an obvious void on a roster that needs guys to take reps in groupings other than special teams right from day one. Personally, watching Behar reminds me of Coehoorn and it seems like an obvious transition) 6. Winnipeg - LB Cameron Judge (obviously we're avoiding an immediate need at receiver here but it doesn't seem like the right spot to take one and Cameron Judge is a stand out first round talent. At this point, I feel like we're going BPA. People will immediately say picking Judge is giving up on Waggoner as we don't even have a clear opening in the starting lineup for ONE of them, but I think he's a player you can fit all over the field and his work on McCaffrey tells me he's going to be able to get out there and make open-field tackles on any offensive weapon this league has) 7. BC - DL Junior Luke (I'm a big fan of Luke and I think he's going to fit in well with what BC is trying to do. He can get in there and grind lineman and contribute as a run stopper immediately. People are going to give me a hard time because there is still only one OL off the board, but again - teams in this first round need talent immediately and the OL group just doesn't have it this year.) 8. Calgary - OL Qadr Spooner (Some people will say Woods should go here, but Spooner seems like more of a Delmonaco guy. Delmonaco seems to have more success with the grizzly bear, nasty kind of guys than he does with the athletic freaks who need to learn the position almost from square one. Calgary always stocks up on the OL and with no real need anywhere, this is a pick where they can take the #1 guy on THEIR board and not even think twice.) 9. Ottawa - OL Mason Woods (Championship teams always have this luxury and Ottawa is a good landing spot for a guy that they don't need to rush through development. Woods will have the opportunity to grow and learn at the pace he needs to be successful. Patience could make him the next Matt O'Donnell) Round Two 10. Toronto - DB Christophe Mulumba (Popp has never been shy about being unconventional in the draft. For a man that once took a running back fourth, taking Mulumba here is hardly abnormal whatsoever. Toronto is a strong team in the trenches and they need a contributor on defense. Mulumba fits well for them here and they get a bit of a stroke of luck, since Judge probably keeps Mulumba from going in round one) 11. Saskatchewan - OL Braden Schram (Schram is a bit of an anomaly and I'm not quite sure where to rank him, but Saskatchewan absolutely needs to add to the cupboard again and Calgary keeps pumping OL out year after year. Fairly straightforward pick here, although Schram is just a name. It will be the BPA on their OL board.) 12. Montreal - RB Johnny Augustine (Kavis Reed's first ever draft pick. I think it's early for a guy like Augustine, but Reed has the depth in the trenches and he's going to be looking to shore up his special teams and add a different look to some offensive packages here.) 13. Hamilton - DL Randy Colling (one of the toughest guys to project in the entire draft, I have no idea where he goes, but he's got potential as a premier run stopper in the CFL if he can shed the weight. If this guy has any success whatsoever, he'll be a fan favorite on whatever team drafts him.) 14. Edmonton - OL Jean-Simon Roy (Edmonton needs to restock the OL cupboards a year after they failed to make anything of their early round draft picks. Roy is a grinder and will have an opportunity to provide a smooth transition as Rottier and Sorenson enter into the twilight of their careers) 15. Winnipeg - OL Geoff Gray (yep, they're going to do it. Winnipeg and Green Bay seem to have a front office relationship that is among the strongest in the CFL and between that and their connections to Gray/Dobie at the U of M, they'll have a better idea than anyone of his chances to make the Packers. It's a risk, but this is one they can afford to take and it's a lot smarter IMO than taking a guy like Jeremy Zver here for what we need) 16. BC - DB Robert Woodson (Wally could go futures here, but it makes a lot of sense to take a body that is going to contribute given the question marks surrounding their bodies in the secondary. Edem could be on the move, Thompson is a 28 year old second year player and Fraser is hardly anything beyond special teams at this point. Wally injects some youth into a spot that needs it.) 17. Calgary - REC Antony Auclair (this was always a pick Calgary was going to make, in my opinion. Dickenson is the perfect OC to work with Auclair and they can afford to wait to get him) 18. Ottawa - LB Jordan Herdman (one of the worst combines ever but this guy is still an incredible football player. Would not surprise me to see Herdman become this year's Taylor Loffler if presented with the opportunity. He is a legitimate baller and the game tape will overcome his testing) Round Three 19. Toronto - OL Danny Sprukilis (I agree with that other mock ... there's always an OL that goes early that makes people go "huh?" and Popp always factors in geography with his drafting. Could go Zver here but it's very rare to see Popp take a guy he sees as a hometown flight risk.) 20. Saskatchewan - forfeit 21. Montreal - OL Justin Senior 22. Hamilton - REC Mitchell Picton 23. Edmonton - DL/LB Evan Foster 24. Winnipeg - REC Alex Morrison 25. BC - DL Eli Ankou 26. Calgary - DL Justin Vaughn 27. Ottawa - LB Matt Singleton

Not a big Ekakitie guy, I haven't seen much but he certainly fills a need for us and likely will from day one. I've got enough faith in our draft team now that I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

This mock is guilty of a lot of the reasons I've stopped doing them - it's tough to not get caught trying to build around certain picks that you know make sense. Vandervoort at 4 everywhere is a classic example ... he could literally go anywhere in the first round, but everyone says #4 because it's what makes the best story - hometown kid going back to play with old coach at a position of need. Sure, it could happen but other teams need REC and Hamilton has other needs also. Nobody seems to pay much attention to the most important question - how does Hamilton feel about Vandervoort?

I see maybe 2 or 3 picks that I think make sense on that mock.

he's a DB

http://3downnation.com/2017/05/01/saskie-native-kahlen-branning-heading-to-mini-camp-with-detroit/ The key part for those who don't feel like clicking ... What happens to a guy that he goes from being undrafted in the 2015 (the article has the wrong year, his draft year was 2015) CFL Draft to getting mini-camp invites to the NFL this year? Branning ran a 4.53 at the regional combine and now runs a 4.47? Nice improvement too. I wonder how this kid developed, because it sounds like he's easily somebody we could see in camp.

You thought wrong, dummy.

I honestly thought Campbell was going to be a good one and I really wanted the Fresh Prince to star for us, but other than that, I don't really think any of this surprises me. Chisum isn't a shocker, he doesn't seem like he's got a build for pro ball to be honest. Too slim.

I think he lasts. He got guaranteed money with a team who has proven they invest in their UDFAs.

Gray signs a deal with Packers with guaranteed money in form of signing bonus Ankou to Texans. Auclair to Bucs.

Only 45 picks to go.

I'm sure it's easy for you to say that when it's not your job, your finances, the stability of the franchise you're so invested in and your family's ability to stay located where they are at stake. It's never a no brainer in the CFL Draft. The goalposts are moving every day.

lol some goober on RF was whining because we have 87 players under contract and according to what the available copy of the CBA says, the maximum we're allowed is 85. So I pointed out that the Riders currently have 89. Now I'm "creating fake news" and "deflecting the spotlight"