Canada might have their own football league in the CFL but it doesn’t attract nearly as much global attention as the NFL. As such, it’s little surprise that more and more Canadians are deciding to move into the American League.

The draft is happening at the end of April and the fans are ready for the next season.

For now, there are 29 Canadians active on NFL rosters, which is more than ever before.

We don’t want to focus too heavily on quantity though and, instead, we’re looking at quality with a rundown of the best Canadians in the NFL right now.

Number 5. Neville Gallimore, Defensive Tackle, Dallas Cowboys

Kicking off our list of the best Canadians in the NFL right now is Neville Gallimore who we rank as the fifth-best. Gallimore was ranked as the number one Canadian prospect when he entered the NFL Draft back in 2020. Although that didn’t see him go early in the draft, he was eventually selected in the third round by the Dallas Cowboys. The DT began life on the bench for a while but a few injuries ahead of him opened a door for him.

He quickly stepped up to the plate with a series of impressive performances; he ended the year with 26 tackles, 0.5 sacks and 12 quarterback pressures to go along with four tackles for loss. That’s not a set of amazing stats but, for a youngster making his first steps in the NFL, they certainly showed a lot of promise.

Number 4. Chuba Hubbard, Running Back, Carolina Panthers

We’ve used the phrase ‘showing promise’ above and that really fits the bill for Chuba Hubbard; the 22-year-old could well establish himself as one of the best running backs the Carolina Panthers have ever seen – providing he fulfils his undoubted potential. At present, he is currently working behind Christian McCaffrey in the offense but Hubbard’s time will come.

McCaffrey has spent a fair bit of time on the treatment table, which has given Hubbard an opportunity to showcase his ability at various times, and now it looks like he could move on with rumours swirling of a McCaffrey exit. That would create a huge chance for Hubbard and we suspect the Panthers would be happy for him to have a good go of it.

Number 3. Jevon Holland, Safety, Miami Dolphins

You won’t find many people that argue with  our inclusion of Jevon Holland on this list of the best Canadians in the NFL. Holland joined the Miami Dolphins as a second round draft pick and it’s proved to be a very smart acquisition.

The Oregon graduate became a regular in the Dolphins team making appearances in all 16 games and starting in 13 of them. In total, he finished the campaign with 69 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions. Throw in the fact he had three fumble recoveries as well and this lad really has taken to the NFL like a duck to water; the sky is the limit for him.

Number 2. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Guard, New York Jets

Had we been writing this list a few year back, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif would have been strolling into the number one spot. Now though, he’ll have to settle for the silver medal. Why is that? Well, partly because of the player we have in first place and partly because Duvernay-Tardif’s form has dropped from what it was a few years ago.

Duvernay-Tardif won a Super Bowl ring with the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV but he seems to have been distracted by off-field matters more recently and missed the entirety of the 2020 season due to Covid-19 with much of the following season passing him by as well.

He is back in the game now though with the New York Jets. We know what he can do and, if he does it, he’s unquestionably one of the best Canadian players in the league.

Number 1. Chase Claypool, Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers

Coming in on top of our rankings of the best Canadians in the NFL right now is Chase Claypool. That might raise an eyebrow or two with the player having suffered some criticism of late but, actually, his numbers stack up pretty well – when you consider everything that goes with it.

Claypool posted 62 receptions for 873 yards and nine touchdowns in his rookie season but did see a dip in 2021 with an underwhelming 59 catches, 860 yards and two touchdowns 2021. Those stats need some understanding applied to them though; the Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled for consistency in offense and Claypool has been used in rotation behind the likes of Juju Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson. When he gets more time on the grid, he’ll be just fine.