Selecting second overall, the Redblacks could have gone in several directions to fill out the talent on their roster. They had done a great job of collecting young American talent at several positions that allowed them the flexibilityย toย simplyย select the best players available in the CFL Draft.ย Thisย was true even with their first-round pickย whereย they selected a wide receiver. Withย players like Justin Hardy, Bralon Addison, Jaelin Acklin, Dominique Rhymes, as well as former XFL/USFL players Joe Walker, Garrett Maag, Dontay Demus Jr., and a host of other young prospects competing for snaps on the roster.
Nick Marder will be stealing a job from someone, and I imagine it will not take long. This man brings something to the table that none of the other players in his position group currently can offer, atย 6โ6ย he is a full two inches taller than Dominique Rhymes and Garrett Maag. With that size, the Redblacks stillย managed to findย a player who brings the top-end speed to be a deep threatย runningย a 4.52 at his Auburn pro day. He managed a 35-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot 9-inch broad jump.ย
His 79 and 3/8-inch wingspanย and 9-inch and 3/8-inch hands have helped him be a sure-handed wideout whoย makes circus catches at times.ย Mardner played with defensive tackle Blessmanย Taโalaย whoย Ottawa selected with the first overall pick last year at the University ofย Hawaiiย
Daniel Okpoko, Defensive Line
Daniel Okpoko is a native of Lagos, Nigeria. Okpoko hasย a very interestingย career,ย andย itย wasย highlightedย here inย a greatย article by Anthony Miller. Okpoko isย 6โ5ย 275 pounds, but when he first arrived atย collegeย he was only 235 pounds andย wasnโtย the type of player whoย could be counted onย to play on the interior. He grew into the versatile player he is now over time.ย
Watching Okpoko play, I was impressed by his firstย step,ย andย hisย strength.ย He seems to anticipate the snapย wellย and catch offensive linemen off guardย at times.ย He does a great of converting that speed into powerย as well, running right through blockers.ย He could be the type of playerย that theย Redblacks can allow to focus on playing interior defensive line in the CFL.ย
Allowing him to play against slower guards that will typically outweigh him by at least 15-25 pounds could be the way to create mismatches andย allowย him to do his damage on obvious passing downs. Thenย inย obvious run situations, he can kick outside to the defensive end so players likeย Taโalaย and Thomas Schaffer can step in and eat up blocks.ย
Dawson Pierre, Defensive Back/Linebacker
Dawson Pierre is aย largerย defensive back at 6โ2 219 pounds who will likely move to linebacker in the CFL. Hailing from Longueuil, Quebecย Pierreย played for Vanierย College,ย before finishing up with Concordia. Ironicallyย linebackerย is not a position he is unfamiliar with, having played itย beforeย at Vanier before playing safety for Concordia.ย
Pierre has lined up anywhere from cornerback, slot, linebacker, andย evenย safety. His ability to play all these positions only makes him a better fit as a linebacker in the CFL, where he willย be askedย to cover a lot of ground.ย Their last starting strongside linebacker signed with the Chicago Bears, leaving a potential opening for a rookie starter.ย
At the CFL combineย heย managed t
o put up impressive numbers, with 16 reps in the bench press, a 7.0-second 3-cone drill, and a 4.41 short shuttle.ย He ran a 4.77 40-yard dash and leaped 33 inches. He is an exceptional athlete at linebacker but could be a liability as a defensive back in the CFL.ยJahquan Bloomfield, Wide Receiver
As mentioned before, the Redblacks have tremendous depth at wide receiver, so selecting another was not an immediate need, but itย was a position the team wanted to ensure was improved after watching over three years of an anemic passing attack.ย The 6โ1 190ย 190-poundย wideout is coming to Canada from Katy, Texasย originally.ย
Playing at Lousianaย Monroe,ย and later Prarie View A&M, Bloomfield proved his worth and displayed versatilityย along the way. During his time at Lousiana Monroe, it was a slow progression into the lineup. In his first three seasons combined, he played in just 6 games. During this stretch, he did more work on special teams than he did as a wide receiver collecting 7 tackles to 4 receptions for 77 yards. Overall after four seasons, and 16 games at Louisiana Monroe, producing just 9 tackles, and 5 receptions for 82 yards, Bloomfield knew he had to move on to a new school to showcase himself.ย
Prairie View A&M gave Bloomfield a la
rger role than he had at his previous school. Playing in 17 games over the next two seasons he collected 13 receptions for 298 yards, 3 carries for 39 yards, 2 tackles, and 3 total touchdowns.ยOriginally born in Canada, he spent most of his football career in the U.S., moving to the United States at 15 years old. This would help him get an invite to the CFL Combine in March. He performed decently but left some room for improvement in several testing drills. This included a 4.61 40-yard dash, a 35-inch vertical leap, and a 4.51 short shuttle. He will look to earn a role in 2024, and it could be his special teams play that does the trick on the Redblacks. He had a total of 11 tackles during college and I expect that to continue in the professional ranks.ย
Yani Gouadfel, Defensive Back
During his collegiate career, Gouadfel was a big play waiting to happen. Watching his highlight tape is like watching him play chess while other playersย are playingย checkers.ย Attending Bishopโs University for threeย seasonsย he was able to createย 34 tackles,ย 1ย sack, andย 5ย interceptions in just 16 total games.ย
Ironically, Gouadfel didnโt just pl
ay defensive back, as we saw him punt the ball 99 times for 3,754 yards, with 20 kicks landing inside the 20-yardย line,ย and onlyย 2ย touchbacks, Hisย average wasnโtย great, at 37.9 yards, but having a player who can fill in if an injury happens at punter, while also playing defensive back for the team as well.ยHe also addedย 1ย punt return for 7 yards andย 1ย carry for 7 yards. The soon-to-be rookieย had a decent performanceย at the combine with a 4.64 40-yard dash, 32-inch vertical, 7.14 3-cone drill, and 4.25 short shuttle. He hasnโt dominated in any one event, but overallย hadย a good day.ย
Atย 6โ2ย 208ย poundsย I could see him competing at safety at the next level. The Redblacks are getting older in the secondary over the past few seasons. Drafting a depth piece that can develop over time was a smartย move.
Zack Philion, Linebacker
Born in Lorraine, Quebecย Philionย played wide receiver and defensive back at a young age before moving to linebacker in college. Atย 6โ2ย 220ย poundsย the Human Relations major attended Concordia University. As a member of the Stingers, he teamed with fellow Redblacks draftย pick,ย Dawson Pierre to help form a great defense. Before arriving at Concordia, he attended the New Mexico Military Institute.ย
Playing in 8ย gamesย he collectedย 9ย tackles,ย 1ย interception, andย 2ย pass breakups while playing defensive back. While heย made the moveย to linebacker once he ended up at Concordia, he is stillย fairlyย new to the position and growing into it.ย
He willย be askedย to compete with several new faces in the linebacker corps for the Redblacks.ย Not only did they add some promising free agents, including Davion Taylor from the NFL, but they also used a Global draft pick on Heston Lametaย aย productive linebacker, and selected Dawson Pierre who couldย move to linebacker as well.
At the CFL Combine, he managed to put up
impressive numbers for a man expected to play linebacker. While his 40-time wasnโt great (4.8) his 16 reps in the bench press, 7.03 3-cone drill, and 4.39 short shuttle certainly made me look.ยRussell Dixon, Tight End
Russell Dixon is an athlete, who happens to be listed as a tight end by his former school. Originally from Edmonton, the 6โ3 224 pound pass catcher would attend UConn for his collegiate career. He didnโt see the field much until his final season.ย
Appearing in a total of 15 games he caught just 3 passes for 28 yards, all of which came in 2022 during the first three games of the year. Dixon could get a better opportunity to showcase himself in the CFL in 2024.ย
Dixon is a guy who could move to wide rec
eiver, or fullback at the next level, or even just play a little of both throughout his career.ย I expect his immediate value to come on special teams, where he has the size and ability to play on nearly every unit.Continue the CFL Football discussions on our offical CFL Discord Channel
