Can I be honest; like brutally honest?
The CFL draft excites me less than watching paint dry!
Why? Largely, it is completely inconsequential.
Sure, every so often a team will draft a player that makes it in the CFL and is a big contributor.
Looking at the past couple of years here is who the Bombers have drafted…let me know which one was the best:
2023
Anthony Bennett
Selected: First round, 8th overall
Position: Defensive end
School: Regina
Ht: 6-1; Wt: 229
Born: October 4, 1996; Hometown: Weston, Fla.
Jake Kelly
Selected: Second round, 15th overallÈ
Position: Defensive back
School: Bishop’s
Ht: 5-11; Wt: 182
Born: April 1, 1999; Hometown: Markham, Ont.
Jeremy Murphy
Selected: third round, 26th overall
Position: Receiver
School: Concordia
Ht: 6-0; Wt: 180
Born: May 14, 1999; Hometown: Montreal, Que.
Tanner Schmekel
Selected: fourth round, 35th overall
Position: Defensive tackle
School: Regina
Ht: 6-2; Wt: 270
Born: July 22, 1999; Hometown: Regina
Collin Kornelson
Selected: fifth round, 44th overall
Position: Defensive tackle
School: Manitoba
Ht: 6-2; Wt: 288
Born: February 14, 2000; Hometown: Winnipeg
Bret MacDougall
Selected: sixth round, 53rd overall
Position: Defensive back
School: Windsor
Ht: 6-2; Wt: 185
Born: June 25, 2001; Hometown: LaSalle, Ont.
Jonathan Rosery
Selected: seventh round, 62nd overall
Position: Running back/receiver
School: Alberta
Ht: 5-8; Wt: 199
Born: January 16, 2000; Hometown: Edmonton, Alb.
Max Charbonneau
Selected: eighth round, 71st overall
Position: Linebacker
School: Ottawa
Ht: 6-3; Wt: 225
Born: August 19, 1999; Hometown: Ottawa
2022
TYRELL FORD
Selected: second round, 13th overall
Position: Defensive back
School: Waterloo
Ht: 6-0; Wt: 180
Born: March 3, 1998 in Niagara Falls, ON
COLE ADAMSON
Selected: fourth round, 38th overall
Position: defensive tackle
School: Manitoba
Ht: 6-5; Wt: 291.
Born: April 21, 1999 in Winnipeg, Mb.
CHRIS CIGUINEAU
Selected: fifth round, 47th overall
Position: Defensive back
School: Ottawa
Ht: 6-3; Wt: 190
Born: April 19, 1996 in Montreal, QC
JEREMY KAPELANSKI
Selected: sixth round, 56th overall
Position: defensive line
School: Guelph
Ht: 6-3; Wt: 280
Born: April 13, 1998 in Saint Jerome, QC
CEDRICK LAVIGNE
Selected: seventh round, 65th overall
Position: defensive back
School: Carleton
Ht: 6-0; Wt: 206
Born: December 24, 1997 in Gatineau, QC
KONNER BURTENSHAW
Selected: eighth round, 74th overall
Position: fullback
School: Queen’s
Ht: 5-11; Wt: 215
Born: January 4, 1996 in Amhertsview, ON
Do I really have to go through more years, or can we just agree that if the CFL draft does much of anything it opens the door for Canadian players.
But maybe, just maybe, the 2024 draft is different (call me skeptical).
This in itself should be telling, “Believing there was not much difference between the players available in the range of eighth and 20th overall in the CFL Draft, Walters was able to trade his first-round pick for two second-rounders, move down five spots in the order, and get two valuable players for the price of one. ”
While main stream media will spin this to mean, ‘Man there was great depth in this year’s draft,’ I read it like this…there really was not many stand out players in this year’s draft.
Hopefully many of these guys prove me wrong!
With that, here is the Bomber’s 2024 draft selections.
Fabian Weitz
Selected: Round 1, eighth overall
Position: linebacker
School/last club: Cologne Centurions (European League of Football)
Ht: 6-0; Wt: 221
Lucky Ogbevoen
Selected: Round 2, 17th overall
Position: defensive back/linebacker
School/last club: Tirol Raiders (ELF)
Ht: 6-2; Wt: 223
Kevens Clercius
Selected: Round 2, 13th overall
Position: receiver
School: Connecticut
Ht: 6-2; Wt: 212
Michael Chris-Ike
Selected: Round 2, 14th overall
Position: running back
School: Delaware State
Ht: 6-1; Wt: 225
Gabe Wallace
Selected: Round 2, 17th overall
Position: offensive line
School: Buffalo
Ht: 6-6; Wt: 344
Kyle Samson
Selected: Round 2, 20th overall
Position: defensive tackle
School: UBC
Ht: 6-3; Wt: 290
Ian Leroux
Selected: Round 4, 37th overall
Position: long snapper
School: Laval
Ht: 6-1; Wt: 225
Ethan Kalra
Selected: Round 5, 40th overall
Position: offensive line
School: Waterloo
Ht: 6-2; Wt: 309
Giovanni Manu
Selected: Round 5, 46th overall
Position: offensive line
School: UBC
Ht: 6-8; Wt: 340
AK Gassama
Selected: Round 6, 55th overall
Position: receiver
School: Manitoba
Ht: 5-9; Wt: 158
Michael Vlahogiannis
Selected: Round 7, 64th overall
Position: offensive line
School: McGill
Ht: 6-3; Wt: 312
Owen Hubert
Selected: Round 8, 73rd overall
Position: defensive end
School: McMaster
Ht: 6-4; Wt: 263
Look here to the Bombers for more on each of these players.
While I certainly will not be rushing out and buying any of those guy’s jerseys (not only because they do not have a number yet, but also I do not know how may of them will make the team), I certainly wish each and everyone of them the best of luck!
I will not blame Walters for making it sound like the Bombers found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow after the draft. Full video here
They are experts in marketing, which is one of the reasons they posted huge profits last year!
I am just skeptical on how much the CFL draft actually matters.
If you think the Bombers scored huge in the draft, which choice are you most excited about?
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