CFL Draft 2015, Nic Demski, Pick #6 in Round 1

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WestCoastJoe
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The most out-of-nowhere pick came next, with the B.C. Lions taking another Golden Hawk, Ese Mrabure-Ajufo. Mrabure-Ajufo was the second-ranked defensive lineman pre-draft, behind Western's Daryl Waud (who already has another NFL minicamp coming up with Washington, which may have hurt his stock), but he was ranked 17th overall compared to Waud's seventh, and he didn't have a lot of pre-draft buzz. B.C. clearly liked him, though, and comparing across positions isn't easy; who knows if he's better than the linemen or receivers that were still on the board? We'll find out as the years go on, but there weren't many people who called this pick.
"The most out-of-nowhere pick came next"

"B.C. clearly liked him, though"

"who knows if he's better than the linemen or receivers that were still on the board?" ... Perceiving true talent is no sure thing. Some prevail against all odds. Some expected to star do not make the grade. Hopefullly EMA shows explosiveness, athleticism and effective play.

"there weren't many people who called this pick" ... True that.

Here's hoping for good results from a deep draft.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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Toppy Vann
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I predict that if ESE fails the Sun football writer will note the Gary Butler Award ...lol... BUT I'm hoping this guy can play as I want to see more local talent in the CFL and I'd love to see the day that foreign players are simply no longer needed.

No one knows and for the most part they come in fully heralded and how the CFL game is suited to their talents (espec. QB) and go out unheralded much more often than the number who stay.

HC Tedford will be the one to bear the accolades or the criticisms for this choice but that goes with the turf when thousands get to judge your picks.
"Hearing (head coach) Scott Milanovich's voice on the phone was a surreal experience but at the same time something that I felt that I've worked hard for and deserve,” said McEwen “In terms of deciding on my immediate future, that is something that I will have to sit down with my family and discuss. Both academics and pro football are huge parts of my future."
By making it clear that he might return to finish his degree he might have risked lowering his draft ranking but he has improved his negotiating position at least.
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
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WestCoastJoe
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Toppy Vann wrote:I predict that if ESE fails the Sun football writer will note the Gary Butler Award ...lol... BUT I'm hoping this guy can play as I want to see more local talent in the CFL and I'd love to see the day that foreign players are simply no longer needed.
If Ese can play with the effectiveness of Ricky Foley, this fan would be very happy indeed. Foley has always had a nonstop motor, is very tough to block, and, at least when we used to see him all the time, could cover ground sideline to sideline.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
TheLionKing
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CFL.ca Staff

TORONTO – Drafting, in its purest sense, is ultimately a risk with no guarantees.

Players drafted in the first round may never play a down of football while those taken later could end up being the star you were expecting earlier.

The CFL Draft adds another element of uncertainty to the equation – for some draftees, signing a contract with an NFL team becomes more than temporary and the clubs who drafted them north of the border are left with nothing to show for it.

It becomes a delicate balance of risking losing the talent of Canadian players should they decide to play in the NFL or picking more of a guaranteed selection who you know has higher odds of being a CFL player.

This year was no different, as both the Lions and Stampeders used draft picks on Canadian players currently under contract with NFL teams.

Christian Covington was the top-ranked prospect by CFL.ca’s Scouting Bureau after recording three sacks and 20 tackles at Rice last year. He was drafted in the sixth round of this year’s NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. Should the defensive end wind up in the CFL, the Lions would be his team after he was selected by BC in the fifth round.

The Lions also picked up the rights to offensive lineman Brett Boyko with the 14th overall pick despite him signing a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. The next round, Calgary selected Tyler Varga, a running back out of Yale who has a deal with the Indianapolis Colts.

While both Lions general manager Wally Buono and Stamps general manager John Hufnagel understand the risks in their choices, both are still hopeful that one day they can reap the benefits of their selections. Despite wishing their picks well in their NFL pursuits, both want their players to know that if their NFL dreams don’t work out, they have homes in Calgary and Vancouver.

After starring both on and off the field at Yale, Hufnagel knew that Varga was a player he wanted to select. And he was able to get him right where he wanted – in the third round.

“We got a little nervous,” said Hufnagel. “We wanted to select him in the middle of the third round but we decided ‘here’s a guy that if he does not find a home in Indianapolis, he can help us continue on with our ratio with a National being the running back’.”

For Buono, he ended up using two of his eight draft picks on players who might never put on a Lions uniform. The players he did take, however, were the top two prospects on the CFL’s Scouting Bureau in Convington and Boyko, respectively.

“Players of Christian’s caliber are rare and I believe he’s worth the risk given that we had an extra pick in the fifth round,” said Buono.

The Lions’ Director of Player Personnel, Neil McEvoy, agrees with the notion that a team needs to draft the best player available when picking.

“Christian Covington, at the end of the day, is probably the number one draft eligible player in the 2015 CFL Draft,” said McEvoy. “Getting him where we got him, he’s a local Vancouver kid, grew up in the Vancouver area and he knows what the BC Lions are all about. If his NFL opportunities end in two, three, maybe four, five years, maybe never, there’s a chance he will come back and play for us.”

McEvoy continued his praise of BC’s draft picks and believes that Boyko could come in and be a starting tackle should things not work out with the Eagles.

Some draft day risks pay off right away and some don't pay off at all. Others, meanwhile, pay off a long way down the road. Look no further than Argonauts linebacker Cory Greenwood.


Players of Christian's caliber are rare and I believe he's worth the risk.


- Lions GM Wally Buono


After being ranked the third-best prospect in the 2010 draft by the CFL Scouting Bureau, the Argos took the linebacker third overall. Less than a month later, Greenwood signed a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played five seasons in the NFL before joining the Argos at the end of last season. With Toronto’s off-season trade of Shea Emery, Greenwood looks primed to slot in as the team’s new starting linebacker.

Another Argos first-round pick, offensive lineman Nick Kaczur, had a similar NFL experience. Chosen ninth overall by Toronto in 2005, Kaczur was drafted in the third round of the NFL Draft by the New England Patriots that same year. He spent six seasons with the Patriots and played 68 games before retiring in 2010 having never played a CFL down.

The Lions drafted Danny Watkins fourth overall in the 2010 draft, but the offensive lineman elected to return to Baylor to play out his final year. After being selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Eagles, Watkins became the first Canadian to be drafted in the first round of both the CFL and NFL drafts since 1986. Like Kaczur, Watkins would spend his entire football career without playing in the CFL.

It remains to be seen what will happen to Covington, Boyko and Varga. While their CFL status remains in limbo for now, all three know that they have a home in the league should their options below the 49th parallel disappear.

http://cfl.ca/article/futures-picks-hig ... -in-drafts
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Toppy Vann
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In some ways what this latest story really boils down to is this: Teams are damned if they do and damned if they don't. In other words, drafting players who want to be someplace else (and who have or believe they have options) is a mug's game (meaning a futile activity best left to discuss over a mug of beer).

IF a team doesn't take the best player available and just drafts nationals who are passed over by NFL teams while other teams draft best players and get a few and and win- that GM going for guys who will turn up to TC and that team is going to be in hot water with fans and media.

But taking the best and no others and they all go off to the NFL try outs and never player you're also going to be in trouble.

So what to do??

Do what these teams do. Pick a few of each and hope for the best.

Insane system but what else is there other than involve your scouts and college/community coaches to spot players for you (and alumni if they stay in the game).
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TheLionKing
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WestCoastJoe
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http://www.cfl.ca/article/lions-sign-dr ... n-released
Defensive linemen Ese Mrabure-Ajufo and Maxx Forde, running back Shaquille Murray-Lawrence, linebacker Adrian Clarke, offensive lineman Campbell Allison and defensive back Josh Brinkworth will arrive in Vancouver with other first-year Lions on Wednesday, May 27 before making their way to Kamloops for mini-camp after signing contracts.

The Lions picked up a total of eight players in the 2015 CFL Draft, with Christian Covongton and Brett Boyko under contract with NFL Teams.

The club is also permitted to add two undrafted CIS players to its training camp roster and has extended invites to UBC running back Brandon Deschamps as well as Simon Fraser defensive back Bibake Uppal.

As in past years, the Lions will feature three BC junior football standouts at camp including offensive linemen Anthony Daley (Langley Rams) and Michele Vecchio (Okanagan Sun) as well as receiver Derek Yachison (Kamloops Broncos).
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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WestCoastJoe
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http://www.theprovince.com/sports/footb ... story.html

From the article by Lowell Ullrich ...
"They didn’t say it was gonna be easy. They didn’t say it would be this degrading and humiliating either #ChinUpKiddo.” — Twitter feed of Lions rookie Ese Mrabure-Ajufo Tuesday
Not his fault.

Picked too high.

Not anywhere near ready to play D Line.

Not anywhere near ready to play STs.

So, he is a project. Long term. One would have to say that taking him in the 1st round was a mistake. And it is not his fault.

Athletic. Yes. Skilled in D Line play? No. Skilled in ST play? No. So why pick him in the 1st round of a very deep draft?

Not all that experienced playing at the highest college level. Not loaded with statistics from a highly regarded college career, as would be expected with a 1st round pick. Someone "fell in love" with the potential. Like "falling in love" with a stock. Or "falling in love" with a type of car.
The realities of three-down football even with a new coach can be as painful to the B.C. Lions collectively as they are to their first-round draft pick, who came in with expectations that so far have exceeded his grasp.
"expectations that so far have exceeded his grasp" Yes.
The CFL team opened up its draft record in the annual Canadian college lottery for review again last week when the Lions deactivated top selection Ese Mrabure-Ajufo and placed him on their practice roster.
Picked way ahead of the rankings of other teams and organizations.
The collective fan view outside their world on draft night was that general manager Wally Buono had taken leave of his senses again and made a risky play in selecting the Wilfird Laurier product from Mississauga, Ont., when the Lions needed help in other areas and aren’t stacked with Canadian depth.
"Wally Buono had taken leave of his senses again and made a risky play"

Yes, the thought had occurred to some fans. Or at least the thought occurred that sometimes people make a strange decision, as if trying to show a superior view of things. It can be a reach, trying to show deeper insight. But in reality it is a reach too far, and it is a mistake.
For Buono, who was encouraged by coach Jeff Tedford to take Mrabure-Ajufo at the draft because the Lions were going to start a Canadian defensive lineman, selecting a practice roster player fifth overall is not a sign of a mistake.
"For Buono ... selecting a practice roster player fifth overall is not a sign of a mistake." Sometimes it is best to just admit to a mistake. The rationale got mixed up.

Tedford is not the top personnel guy. That is Buono. And McAvoy. They have the vast experience with the draft and with Canadians. To me, it is deceptive to bring Tedford into this decision.
“I honestly expected (success) for him (Shaq) because he played in the States. He has the proper training. I got all of that, but a little late,” said Mrabure-Ajufo, whose exposure to special teams at Laurier was limited.
Proper training? Ese had limited experience with STs at Laurier.
“I’m growing at a slower rate. All those guys are a lot better special teams players. I’m not going to lie; it just didn’t come. You just don’t want to make a mistake. That’s what killed me.”
Wally mentioned that Ese could play STs. Strange notion when he apparently did little of it in college.
“… Brain is going haywire right now.”
Not Ese's fault. And for a surprise pick way above his ranking, it puts way too much pressure on the player. At the time of the draft, Ese expressed that he was shocked to be picked so high.
.............

Any time a team goes deep on the board with a 1st round pick, with all the media coverage nowadays, they better have all their ducks lined up. They better have the rationale worked out. They better have done their homework. If a consensus top pick fails, that sometimes happens. But going off the board, or very deep on the board? Hmmmm ... Ouch. Not good for the player. Makes some fans wonder what the heck is going on.

Is the draft a crap shoot? Not in the opinion of some observers. It seems some GMs and personnel staffs make very solid picks year after year. Jim Popp and the Alouettes might be a good example. And this would seem to be especially so with 1st round picks. You need to make solid picks, not gambles. You need solid rationale. Gamble later? OK. Gamble in the 1st round? Ouch. Ouch. Some would say the Lions are thin on their National roster. Blown picks are a huge part of that. Going off the board? Going deep on the board? That is a head shaker.
..........

What was the public rationale again from Wally? Ese can play Defensive End and get some inside DL play? He can contribute on STs? Based on what? Hunch?

Bud Grant once said, in dimming the sky high expectations of reporters, about a couple of draft picks: "They look good in the uniforms." But can they play? Ese looks athletic. But can he play? Was his draft stock properly vetted?

Not the fault of the player. Not his fault he was put in this position.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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Toppy Vann
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Well maybe even Wally was forced into going against his best judgment with all the fan and media focus on how he didn't let Mike Benevides do his own thing - which quite frankly for me was bogus. So now Jeff Tedford comes in and Wally has to let him do his thing - even though he might not agree.

Why in college his team didn't use him on STs is astounding. But we live in a specialty area even in college ball.
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DanoT
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I can only wonder who the Lions first pick would have been if Kelly Bates had remained Draft Coordinator?

IMO dropping Kelly Bates from the Lions coaching staff was Tedford's first mistake as Lions HC.
TheLionKing
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Early candidate for the Gary Butler award.
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B.C.FAN
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According to the Lions, Mrabure-Ajufo is on the one-game injured list, not the practice roster, and has been since July 29 so he is still being paid. That may not help his pride but it will help his paycheque and keep him out of the grasp of any other team that may want to pick up a first-round draft choice for nothing.
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WestCoastJoe
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http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/foot ... story.html

From Mike Beamish ... excerpts.

How odd was the 2015 Canadian college draft for the B.C. Lions?

... they displayed a penchant for gambling and taking a shot at the unknown.
Gambling. Yes. A shot at the unknown. Yes. Mistake. Yes.
In an organization which has had some notable first-round mis-hits and bombs — Danny Watkins (2010), Jamall Lee (2009), Adam Nicolson (2007), Alex Bwenge (2005) and O.J. Atogwe (2004) — Ese Mrabure-Ajufo is the latest Lions’ first-rounder making a quiet introduction. Quiet as to be almost invisible.
Many wasted picks. The draft is a crap shoot? Not for the better teams. Better at evaluation. Better at judgment.
The Wilfrid Laurier product hasn’t dressed since the Lions’ July 24 game against the Toronto Argonauts. He started the season on special teams, the normal apprenticing assignment handed to rookies, but has since been removed from that detail after recording just one tackle.

“He hasn’t done it before (in college),” explains Lions coordinator Chuck McMann. “He’s got to learn more about the game. Absolutely, it’s really a shame that they (college coaches) don’t put some of their better guys on specials teams to learn that part of the game. On our small (CFL) rosters, that’s a ticket for a young guy to get on the field.”
In commenting on drafting Ese, Wally said he could play STs. Nope. Could he step in to the D Line? Nope. Could he play inside? Nope.

So what the heck were Wally and his staff thinking? Long, long term project. And that means extremely unlikely to ever make it.

What the heck were they thinking?

It seems that sometimes teams are desperate to draft a certain player, and take him much sooner than necessary. Were the Lions desperate to draft Ese? I doubt it.

Was Wally making a statement that he and his staff can see potential that others overlook? Sometimes this kind of thing happens.

If we cannot evaluate talent at the top level, we are in serious trouble. That goes for the draft. And it also goes for bringing in International talent.
“How shall I say this? He’s too big of a guy,” McMann says. “Ask him to run down on a kickoff, or eight or nine punts in a game, and you’re going to kill the kid.”
Not suited to STs. D'oh ... Too big? Or just not fast enough? A head shaker.
“He’s still a player as far as his potential is concerned, but he’s just a raw talent,” says Mic’hael Brooks, the Lions’ starting nose tackle. “He needs to hone his skills and learn how to play the game. He needs to develop his awareness. It just takes time. I’ve been doing this since the fourth grade. I’ve got a big jump on him.”
Lacking in skills. Hmmm ... At 22, one would think it is unlikely that Ese can ever develop the special skills needed to play pro football.
“I’m learning (how to play defensive line) from everybody, from Khreem Smith to Zach Minter to Mic’hael Brooks,” Mrabure-Ajufo says. “Mic’hael is a rookie to the CFL, but he’s not a rookie. He’s been helping me a lot, giving me feedback. He’s only a year older than me. But, oh man, I’ve got a lot to learn.”
So what were we thinking?

Nothing against the young man. But fans have expectations of 1st round picks. Playing time. Performance. And the expectations must be a heavy load to carry.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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Toppy Vann
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If you recall the selection of this guy was Jeff Tedford's pick.
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DanoT
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Ese M-A is just another Bart Andrus..er Jeff Tedford mistake. :shock:
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