On Tuesday night, the Toronto Argonauts came into the CFL Draft with nine overall selections and three out of the top 15 picks. The Boatmen entered the draft with very few glaring needs, so the team was able to operate from a position of luxury.

Toronto Argonauts First Round Selection, Sixth Overall: OL Gregor MacKellar, St. Francis Xavier

The Boatmen surprised some prognosticators by selecting St. Francis Xavier’s OL Gregor MacKellar and bypassing highly touted prospects at the position like Zach Kerr. However, MacKellar was rated a top 20 prospect by the CFL Scouting Bureau. MacKellar was named an Atlantic University Sport all-star in 2019. The 6’5 311lb, MacKellar is known for his aggressiveness and mean streak.

MacKellar, who has played three years of U Sports football, is a six-foot-four, 312-pound left tackle whose collegiate career began south of the border in NCAA Division 1.

After playing at St. Andrew’s College in Ontario, MacKellar landed a U.S college scholarship with the University of Rice in Houston, Texas, and spent a year as a redshirt. He decided to return to Canada after the Rice Owls changed coaches and landed at St. F.X.

The Argos skew American at OT with projected starters Isaiah Cage and Dejon Allen. Selecting MacKellar could help the team’s ratio upfront in the future. But Gregor could be headed toward playing guard exclusively in the CFL. The Boatmen’s brass is hoping they have the same success with MacKellar, that they had with Nicastro last year.

Toronto Argonauts Second Round selection, 10th overall: DL, Deionte Knight, Western

The 6’3 280lb Ajax, Ont. native, Deionte Knight, is arguably the best defensive linemen in this draft. Knight recorded 52 total tackles (including 13 tackles for loss), ten sacks, and two fumble recoveries in his fourth year at Western University.
 
Knight won the J. P. Metras Trophy, awarded annually to the Most Outstanding Down Lineman in U Sports.

Knight may have slid to ten because there is a real possibility that he could sign an NFL contract in the coming days. Knight was a standout in the East-West Shrine Bowl early in 2022.

Deionte Knight is not currently on an NFL roster. But he was invited to rookie minicamp with the NFL’s Washington Commanders, and it remains to be seen if Knight lands a spot on an NFL roster.

But Toronto is willing to take a lottery pick on the ultra-talented Ontario native. The Argos have plenty of talent on the defensive line. But they could use a national player on the interior next to All-CFL American sensation Shawn Oakman.

Toronto Argonauts Second Round Selection, 15th overall: RB, Daniel Adeboboye, Bryant University

The 5’9 220lb Daniel Adeboboye is considered by many to be the best running back prospect in this draft class. The Toronto-born Adeboboye was a standout on the FCS level, amassing over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 20 touchdowns during his career at Bryant University. His bowling ball style of running could perfectly complement Andrew Harris.

Adeboboye was named to the All-NEC First team in his Junior year, becoming the first Bryant RB to average over 100 yards per game since 2015.

Adeboboye doesn’t have great timed speed in the 4.6 area. But his shuttle time of 4.36 at the CFL combine was the best at his respective position. Adeboboye is also ridiculously strong; he led the combine with 28 reps in the bench press.

The Argonauts’ drafting of Daniel Adeboboye comes as no surprise to many observers of the team, who have predicted that the Boatmen would be looking to flip the RB position Canadian moving forward.

Toronto Argonauts Third Round Selection, 26th overall: LB, Enoch Penney-Laryea, McMaster

Enoch Penney-Laryea, at 6’1 225, was graded out at the combine as one of the most impressive athletes in this entire draft class. Penney-Laryea ran an impressive 4.58-second forty-yard dash, 39.5-inch vertical, 10-foot, seven-and-a-quarter-inch broad jump, and 27 reps on the bench.

Enoch Penney-Laryea has played at DE, but he projects to weakside linebacker in the CFL. EPL has a shot to stick early on as a special teams player because of his dynamic physical traits.

The McMaster standout has a unique upbringing and personal backstory. He hails from Ghana, where he spent several of his formative years before eventually picking up the sport of football after moving to New York City.

The newly implemented rule in the last collective bargaining agreement allows any graduating player who played four years in a U Sports program to enter the CFL as a National. The 2022 draft class will be the first affected by the new rule.

Toronto Argonauts Fourth Round Selection, 35th overall: OL Braydon Noll, Wilfrid Laurier

The Argos once again addressed the offensive line in this draft, selecting T/G Braydon Noll. The versatility to play multiple spots, combined with the ratio benefit, make Noll a worthwhile project down the road. Toronto Assistant GM Vince Magri, a former Canadian offensive lineman himself, has developed a habit of targeting linemen with versatility in recent years, and Noll certainly fits that profile.