2022 CFL Draft (CIS/NCAA and International)

[Noeller]

Figured we may as well get this started, with a Way Too Early prediction from Hodge.......

https://3downnation.com/2022/03/08/john-hodges-2022-cfl-mock-draft-1-0/

 

Combine season is officially upon us, which means it’s time for my first mock draft.

As with all of my mock drafts, the one below is a combination of informed speculation, prediction, and personal opinion. The draft is still almost two months away, so a lot can still change between now and then.

I will post at least one more mock draft prior to the 2022 CFL Draft featuring changes that have come as a result of the 2022 NFL Draft, the national and regional combines, pro days, and sourcing of inside information.

Enjoy!

Round One

1. Edmonton Elks — DL Deionte Knight, Western

The six-foot-four, 275-pound defender was dominant in 2021, recording 52 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, ten sacks, and two fumble recoveries en route to winning the J. P. Metras Trophy. The native of Ajax, Ont. is drawing NFL interest following an impressive showing at the Shrine Bowl but could be a long-term starter for the Elks along the defensive line.

2. Ottawa Redblacks — REC Jalen Philpot, Calgary

The son of former CFL running back Cory Philpot made an average of 7.2 catches for 133.2 yards per game in 2021 and was selected as a U Sports first-team all-Canadian. The Redblacks may have added Llevi Noel and Shaq Johnson in free agency, but I can’t see Ottawa passing up on the best offensive weapon in the draft.

3. B.C. Lions — REC Tyson Philpot, Calgary

The release of Lemar Durant left a gaping hole in the Lions’ receiving corps and this native of Delta, B.C. is a great candidate to fill it. Philpot may have been slightly edged out by his twin brother in receptions and yards this past season, but Tyson made nine touchdown catches while Jalen made only three.

4. Montreal Alouettes — LB Tyrell Richards, Syracuse

The native of Brampton, Ont. fills Montreal’s biggest need at linebacker where he should make an immediate impact on special teams while serving as a backup to Chris Ackie. The six-foot-four, 218-pound defender didn’t play in 2021 but could still end up being the best defensive player in this draft class.

Photo courtesy: Coastal Carolina

5. Calgary Stampeders — DB Enock Makonzo, Coastal Carolina

The native of La Chine, Que. is currently in the NCAA transfer portal, which means he may elect not to turn pro until 2023. Even so, Makonzo would be an excellent pick here considering he’s arguably the best defensive player in the draft and Calgary lost starting safety Royce Metchie via trade to Toronto.

6. Toronto Argonauts — DB Tyrell Ford, Waterloo

The Argos have arguably the best Canadian depth in the CFL, but the one position at which they could stand to add some some talent is safety. Ford would give the club instant depth at there while also potentially chipping in as a return specialist. He had two punt return touchdowns in his first-ever U Sports game and one more in 2019.

7. Saskatchewan Roughriders — OL Noah Zerr, Saskatchewan

The Riders have used their two most recent first-round draft picks on players out of the University of Saskatchewan and I don’t think this year will be any different. Zerr has excellent size at six-foot-seven and 330 pounds and would help address Saskatchewan’s biggest need along the offensive line.

8. Hamilton Tiger-Cats — OL Peter Kozushka, Alberta

Hamilton is going to need an heir apparent to offensive tackle Chris Van Zeyl at some point and this six-foot-seven, 300-pound blocker out of Yorkton, Sask. might be the best candidate in this draft class. Kozushka is lean and long but can still pack a punch in the run game.

9. Winnipeg Blue Bombers — OL Zach Pelehos, Ottawa

The six-foot-six, 304-pound blocker played right tackle with the Gee-Gees but should slide inside to play guard at the professional level. Winnipeg has had success drafting athletic, physical offensive linemen since their current regime took over in 2013 and Pelehos fits that mold perfectly.

Round Two

Photo courtesy: Waterloo Warriors Athletics

1. Toronto Argonauts (via Edmonton Elks) — QB Tre Ford, Waterloo

The reigning Hec Crighton Trophy winner has a strong arm and excellent speed, averaging 95.3 rushing yards per game with the Warriors in 2021. Ford makes a lot of sense for a team like Toronto with no immediate positional needs. He has elite athleticism and the versatility to potentially contribute as a passer, ball carrier or receiver. It’s also fitting that Toronto would keep Ford together with Tyrell, his twin brother and Waterloo teammate.

2. Ottawa Redblacks — DL Anthony Federico, Queen’s

The six-foot-four, 240-pound defender lacks the size to be an every-down player at defensive tackle in the CFL, but I could see him excelling in a rotational role in Ottawa. The Redblacks will likely start two Canadian defensive linemen in 2022 — Cleyon Laing in the middle and Kwaku Boateng off the edge — so having a versatile pass-rusher like Federico would be an asset.

3. B.C. Lions — OL Zack Fry, Western

The native of London, Ont. was a U Sports second-team all-Canadian at left tackle in 2021 as he helped anchor the best offensive line in the country. The six-foot-six, 300-pound blocker has more finesse than power and would likely be best-suited to playing tackle at the professional level.

4. Montreal Alouettes — OL Cyrille Hogan-Saindon, Laval

The 24-year-old was an RSEQ all-star at centre for the Rouge et Or in 2021 and fills a need for Montreal along the interior of their offensive line. Laval offensive linemen have plummeted down draft boards in recent years due to injury problems, but Hogan-Saindon is looking to reverse that trend.

5. Calgary Stampeders — OL Gregor MacKellar, St. FX

The six-foot-five, 311-pound blocker redshirted at Rice in 2017 before transferring to his home province to play for the X-Men. Calgary has a history of drafting offensive linemen from the AUS and MacKellar fills one of the club’s biggest needs along the line of scrimmage.

6. Toronto Argonauts — RB Daniel Adeboboye, Bryant

The Argos are clearly looking to change the ratio in the backfield after making Andrew Harris the highest-paid running back in the CFL in free agency. Adeboboye — who was born in Toronto — posted over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 19 touchdowns over four seasons at the FCS level with the Bulldogs.

Photo courtesy: Piper Sports Photography/Regina

7. Saskatchewan Roughriders — LB Ryder Varga, Regina

The Regina native runs well for his six-foot-three, 225-pound frame and was extremely productive this past season, making 48 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and one fumble recovery. Varga would give the Riders a nice option behind former second-round draft pick Micah Teitz, who became the starter at weak-side linebacker in 2021.

8. Hamilton Tiger-Cats — DL Joshua Archibald, McGill

The six-foot-three, 258-pound edge rusher saw his production decline this past season following a breakout campaign in 2019 during which he made 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Archibald would fill a depth role behind former first-round pick Mason Bennett as the Ticats potentially look to start a Canadian at defensive end in the coming years.

9. Winnipeg Blue Bombers — DL Nathan Cherry, Saskatchewan

Jonathan Kongbo signed with the Denver Broncos in January, leaving Winnipeg without any Canadian depth along the defensive line. Cherry recorded eight tackles for loss and six sacks with the Huskies in 2021 and should be capable of filling a rotational pass-rushing role as well as pitching in on special teams.

10. Edmonton Elks (Territorial) — DB Jayden Dalke, Alberta

The native of Leduc, Alta. played four seasons with the Edmonton Wildcats of the CJFL before joining the Golden Bears. I’m not sure he has the range to play safety at the professional level, but Dalke will pack a punch on special teams. Fellow Golden Bear Josiah Shakel would also be a nice option for the Elks with this pick.

Photo courtesy: Penn State Athletics

11. Ottawa Redblacks (Territorial) — DL Jesse Luketa, Penn State

The six-foot-three, 247-pound defender should be a mid-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, which means there’s a reasonable chance he’ll never play in the CFL. Normally this would be far too high to take a flier on a player like Luketa but territorial selections are freebies, so the Redblacks might as well roll the dice here on an elite prospect.

[SpeedFlex27]

Good job, Noeller. 

[wbbfan]

I just can't see a first round run on ol in this draft. And because it's a one ol prospect draft zerr will go higher. To bc probably with a Philpot in Calgary. 

[bb1]

Enoch Penney-Laryea, my pick as a sleeper,hope the Bombers pick him up.....outstanding test results, raw but with the Blue coaching him the sky is the limit. Not a first rounder but ,top 3 rounds i think.

[wbbfan]

I could see us trading up in this draft. I think the no1 pick is on the market, and this is the draft to trade up in imo. Maybe not to first over all, but the difference in value between a top 5 pick and the next 10 ish is really big. If we did go to first over all though, Richards would be plug and play ratio wise for the loss of kongbo. 

2 hours ago, bb1 said:

Enoch Penney-Laryea, my pick as a sleeper,hope the Bombers pick him up.....outstanding test results, raw but with the Blue coaching him the sky is the limit. Not a first rounder but ,top 3 rounds i think.

He's a great athlete and this draft has really good depth for developmental athletic lbers. I think Beeksma ( polished teams player) and Appolon (Versatile athlete) would be great fits too. I think we have a great opportunity to get a guy to develop and play reps this year. 

Federico could be another guy that rosters this year, rotates some and contributes on teams right away. Knight and Pelley are really interesting prospects that could fit well with what we do on the DL as well. 

 For Ol I think gregor mackellar is a great sleeper pick for us. Big tremendous physical talent who is the nastiest Ol in the draft. He's a guy that we could groom for a while and not need to rush. He's got fantastic upside if he jives with the coaching staff. 

I think we really want to grow NI depth at DB as well, so tyrell ford could be a great fit that might be available in the 2nd round. 

 I also think its a great year for the bombers to take lotto ticket pickets like luketa if they dont trade up. 

 

[Noeller]

I forgot this thread existed..... here's the latest CFL.ca Mock from Marshall Ferguson (h/t @JCon for digging it up first) 

https://www.cfl.ca/2022/04/26/mock-2-0-who-will-be-selected/

As with John Hodge's first mock, Ferg has us taking OL Zack Pelehos at #9. 

[wbbfan]

2 hours ago, Noeller said:

I forgot this thread existed..... here's the latest CFL.ca Mock from Marshall Ferguson (h/t @JCon for digging it up first) 

https://www.cfl.ca/2022/04/26/mock-2-0-who-will-be-selected/

As with John Hodge's first mock, Ferg has us taking OL Zack Pelehos at #9. 

In general I feel like I'm pretty far off the beat for how we draft. We like athletic, high upside guys and kind of mid level lotto ticket picks. But out side of that, and attributes we like I don't think I've been right about a single selection the team has made in the mafia era. 

 With that said, I just can't see the logic behind all these prognosticators. This is a mediocre if not bad batch of OL prospects. I just can't imagine us reaching for a mid level OL prospect with a low ceiling, early on in this weak of a draft (for ol). Especially not with soo many highly athletic defensive players who can contribute on teams early on. 

I'm willing to bet that Eli will be back this year. I dont think dobson has been starting in the USFL, and if thats so I dont think he will be NFL bound this year. 

 

[JuranBoldenRules]

I think we’ll go LB/DB for at least one of our first two picks and I don’t see Schakel getting by us.  We’ll have a need in that spot and the OL crop isn’t great.

[JCon]

Off the board... Tre Ford for the Bombers.

I know picking down the line has been successful but it would be fun to get another Canadian skill player. 

It's not going to happen. 

[Noeller]

Agreed that it won't happen. I'm standing by OL/DL with out first two picks.... 

[rebusrankin]

I'll say defense with the first two since this is supposed to be a weaker OL class.

[camper_2]

1 hour ago, Noeller said:

Agreed that it won't happen. I'm standing by OL/DL with out first two picks.... 

Agree with you Noeller on the first two picks and then LB, Beeksma @ pic 38.... all the videos on him, point to being a Bomber fit,,, especially the mic'd up one... I'm hoping he's available @ 38....

[CrazyCanuck89]

23 hours ago, rebusrankin said:

I'll say defense with the first two since this is supposed to be a weaker OL class.

Yes, plenty of defensive talent might make it the Bombers pick.

Tyrell Ford CB

Josiah Schakel  WLB

Anyone of the defensive ends.

[Noeller]

 

No. 9 - Zack Pelehos

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

PROSPECT INFO

• POSITION
  OL
• SCHOOL
  Ottawa
• HEIGHT
  6-5
• WEIGHT
  296 lbs

Pelehos is another lineman whose stock rose after the CFL combine. The Gananoque, Ont., native flashed a good combination of size and athleticism, measuring as the fourth tallest player and running the fastest 40-yard time among all offensive linemen.
 

Pelehos was named a 2021 OUA First-Team All-Star.
 

Last season's starter, Drew Desjarlais, signed an NFL contract with the New England Patriots and the defending Grey Cup champions could look to Pelehos to fill the void in the offensive line.

 

 

 

No. 18 - Keaton Bruggeling

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

PROSPECT INFO

• POSITION
  WR
• SCHOOL
  Carleton
• HEIGHT
  6-3
• WEIGHT
  212 lbs

The Blue Bombers add another big-bodied wideout after Kenny Lawler, last season’s leading receiver, signed with the Elks. The St. Catharines, Ont., native also adds another Canadian receiver to the Bombers’ roster, joining Nik Demski, Drew Wolitarsky, and Brendan O’Leary-Orange.

 

Also, Our Man Tait's draft preview...good stuff, as always. 

https://www.bluebombers.com/2022/05/02/2022-draft-preview/

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by Noeller

[wbbfan]

Should have a poll.  The various combinations of the First 2 picks ol vs every other position. (Ol/ol, ol/other, other/Ol, other/other) 

Tre Ford is going to be the most interesting guy to watch imo. With an NFL invite I think he could go any where. 

I think the team that drafts the most defenders in the first 3 or 4 rounds or the most lotto tickets wins the draft. 

Edited May 2, 2022 by wbbfan

[kelownabomberfan]

Why do we always end up picking 9th every year???  Come on Kyle!! Oh...right...

[Noeller]

When is the last time we had this much movement in picks...? This has been wild... 

 

 

[bigg jay]

 

[bigg jay]

7 minutes ago, Noeller said:

When is the last time we had this much movement in picks...? This has been wild... 

Live look at Hodge & Ferguson reviewing their mock drafts:

[TrueBlue4ever]

Is it just me or is the CFL Draft not worth really caring about given current contract rules? There are rarely “game breakers”, the best players are frequently not taken because they are going to get snapped up in the NFL, and there are few “instant starters” selected. And with one year contracts creating instant free agency every year, it seems easy to grab a player you missed out on in the draft pretty quickly by signing them after one year. Is there really any length of time a team gets to keep a player’s rights? Best I could find was that as long as they stay in college they are the team’s property, but no real mention of a form of restricted free agency once they play with the team that selected them. Is there a mandatory length of rookie contract that keeps a player with a team or is it one year?

[Noeller]

Any and every bit, scrap and morsel of CFL content is worth caring about. We get so little, and while it's the shortest off-season of all time, it's still been far too long since we've had CFL news to care about. I am ALWAYS excited for the CFL draft each and every year. 

[rebusrankin]

Most rookie deals are three years as I recall.

[Jpan85]

Bombers selected Aussie punter in Global draft Tom Hackett

[bigg jay]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Hackett

Spent a bit of time with the Jets back in 2016.

[Jpan85]

Second round pick is DB Souleymane Karamoko from France played at Laval I do believe. Also was part of NFL international program.