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This is the YouTube video that sold me on Jabar Westerman a while back.

Great strength and mobility for a D Lineman. Truly outstanding. Looks like he has strong, healthy knees also. Long arms. Hope the NFL does not take notice now.

WestCoastJoe wrote:

Blitz wrote:TSN has us taking Atkinson of Boise State in the third round but the Lions website has us taking Norman....

Anyone know the answer...Im hoping for Atkinson...

I saw that too, and was keen on Atkinson as well. But Ham and BC traded picks. Looks like we took O Lineman Matt Norman instead.

Correct. I was following live and we traded with Hamilton, and we took Norman.

This one is more of the video interview. Seems like a nice kid.

"relentless ... play smart ... greatest asset = size and strength, pretty quick for my size" ... like he says

In most highlight clips you are going to see, well, highlights, but the video of Westerman going against o-linemen at e-camp with him beating everyone on just about every play is most impressive.

Looking at the Lions over the WB era, anytime our teams have struggled (2011 maybe not withstanding) we have experienced problems with our O line.

After this draft we should have a very solid O line for years to come. As much as we may grouse when other Canadian WRs and LBs make the highlight reels in the next few seasons, if our O line is allowing our QB to start 18 games in a row while putting up MOP numbers, we win.

Did anyone draft Billy Greene of UBC ?

Belize City Lion wrote:Looking at the Lions over the WB era, anytime our teams have struggled (2011 maybe not withstanding) we have experienced problems with our O line.

After this draft we should have a very solid O line for years to come. As much as we may grouse when other Canadian WRs and LBs make the highlight reels in the next few seasons, if our O line is allowing our QB to start 18 games in a row while putting up MOP numbers, we win.

Oh I agree. It would have been nice to get someone like Shamawd Chambers, but we needed to shore up our D-line, and our O-line now has some very good Canadian depth. Whenever Archibald retires, Fabian should be able to take over as the starting LT (or if Olafioye is still here, shift him over to LT and start Fabian at RT). Meanwhile Norman should make for a good guard in the future.

I am not sold on the OL selection of Fabien. If there is one thing that stands out to me over the course of the Wally Buono era, is that Dorazio has yet to produce an OL pick into a bonifide CFL starter. With Fabien being a "project", you have to think that we are worlds apart from forming that selection into the potential everyone thinks he is capable of. Would have rather selected Plesius, he looks like Barrin Simpson supersized.

Otherwise, I won't argue with who the Lions selected, and WCJ was on target with Westerman, looks like there was enough late interest in his stock which should bode well for that selection. Glad we didn't go with any WR, they would have been buried behind our current NI talent.

Rammer wrote:I am not sold on the OL selection of Fabien. If there is one thing that stands out to me over the course of the Wally Buono era, is that Dorazio has yet to produce an OL pick into a bonifide CFL starter. With Fabien being a "project", you have to think that we are worlds apart from forming that selection into the potential everyone thinks he is capable of. Would have rather selected Plesius, he looks like Barrin Simpson supersized.

Otherwise, I won't argue with who the Lions selected, and WCJ was on target with Westerman, looks like there was enough late interest in his stock which should bode well for that selection. Glad we didn't go with any WR, they would have been buried behind our current NI talent.

I gave the Fabien pick some thought. It strikes me as more of a tactical pick.

Was there better from a value standpoint? Probably. But I think the braintrust figured he would be gone before they had the chance to pick again. Plus, if Fabien is a project, they can always send him back to Calgary for a year.

WestCoastJoe wrote:I've been leaning towards Jabar Westerman for the Lions first pick.

Great call, WCJ. You were on to him early. Westerman fills the Lions' biggest immediate need. I love how Wally outmanoeuvred the Bombers to grab him at No. 2. He can draw into the rotation in his first year, allowing the Lions to dress six DLs, or five at times if necessary for ratio or injury reasons. That pick alone would make this draft class a success. Everything else is gravy.

Belize City Lion wrote: After this draft we should have a very solid O line for years to come.

Too early to assess. Lions drafted some studs. Only time will tell whether the draftees can actually play at the pro level. Remember Justin Sorenson ? He was supposed to be one of the anchors of an offensive line.

Rammer wrote:I am not sold on the OL selection of Fabien. If there is one thing that stands out to me over the course of the Wally Buono era, is that Dorazio has yet to produce an OL pick into a bonifide CFL starter. With Fabien being a "project", you have to think that we are worlds apart from forming that selection into the potential everyone thinks he is capable of. Would have rather selected Plesius, he looks like Barrin Simpson supersized.

Otherwise, I won't argue with who the Lions selected, and WCJ was on target with Westerman, looks like there was enough late interest in his stock which should bode well for that selection. Glad we didn't go with any WR, they would have been buried behind our current NI talent.

Kirby Fabien. OK. Dorazio gets to "build" another NI O Lineman. Even though we had 5 good ones already (admittedly Angus Reid is fairly near the end). Dorazio certainly has Wally's ear.

But then Matt Norman? Dunno ... That kinda seems like overkill on the O Line. And it is not as if Dan Dorazio has had great success "building" an NI O Lineman from scratch. Valli is still a work in progress, and not really at All CFL level. He kind of washed out at center. We started Andrew Jones at guard, one of Dorazio's projects, and then just let him go. Newman developed his game in Calgary and has been OK here. Hameister-Ries is a good one. Baboulas is another project. Sorensen was a bust. Watkins was a gamble.

Drafting talented O Linemen is a good thing to do in the CFL, but we seem to have been hit and miss quite a bit. Dorazio is a much respected O Line coach, but he has had misfirings also, both in developing players, and in his strategies, at times.

Anyway not complaining so much here, but surprised that we focused on two O Linemen in the draft. Apparently the Lions want to groom him to replace Angus Reid. Have they given up on Valli and Baboulas for that role?

B.C.FAN wrote:

WestCoastJoe wrote:I've been leaning towards Jabar Westerman for the Lions first pick.

Great call, WCJ. You were on to him early. Westerman fills the Lions' biggest immediate need. I love how Wally outmanoeuvred the Bombers to grab him at No. 2. He can draw into the rotation in his first year, allowing the Lions to dress six DLs, or five at times if necessary for ratio or injury reasons. That pick alone would make this draft class a success. Everything else is gravy.

I was sold as soon as I saw the tape on his e Camp work. It seems many others were sold also. He rocketed up the lists.

And Wally and his people certainly did do a nice job making sure we got him. LOL It seems Winnipeg traded up with the wrong team. LOL

For our needs, Westerman is just such a good fit. IMO it will easier for a DT/NT type like him to get playing time, rather than the more acquired skill needs of a rush end. He brings energy, strength, relentlessness and quickness. With Mitchell and Taylor as role models, and Carl Hairston as coach, that is all good too.

It might have been nice to score him with the 4th pick and keep the 14th pick, but no matter. It seemed certain the Bombers wanted him badly. For our needs, he may well be a better pick than even Tyrone Crawford might have been, if he came to the CFL.

First, thanks to Joe for all of his thoughts and links prior to the draft, they were very valuable!

Second, the Lions did what they did (end up only drafting a few, top players), because with this team and limited active roster, there are few spaces available...so the thought that a 4th round WR, like Foster was a few years ago, making this squad are essentially impossible. So I believe Wally and Jr. did the right thing...trade picks, move up and get the guys that can help and actually make the team...Westerman and Fabian are those players...Westerman may even see some action this year...it may take Fabian a while longer...

But in the end, it was a great draft, for now, because the Lions added 2 NI players that are likely to make the active squad and Westerman looks like he will become a long time starter on the DLine...this is exactly what we needed. Great job to Wally and Jr.

MexicoLionFan wrote:First, thanks to Joe for all of his thoughts and links prior to the draft, they were very valuable!

A deep pool of talent. Just one evidence of that is the number of guys the NFL shows interest in.

It seems the CFL draft is taking on new life. I recall years ago when the NFL draft developed "draftnicks", people who found it fascinating, and then came the magazines dedicated to it, the pre-draft rankings, the TV coverage, et cetera. Seems the CFL draft is going the same way, on a more modest scale of course, but the dynamics are no less.