Lionbackers.com

Stock Assessment: Forde's look at the defence

Posted: March 28, 2013 02:30 PM

Justin Dunk CFL.ca

Back by popular demand, yours truly spoke with TSN Canadian Football League analyst and Canadian draft junkie, Duane Forde, talking stock up, stock down or stock hold based on the performances of CFL prospects at the 2013 CFL Combine. Forde and I began our stock discussion looking at CFL hopefuls on the defensive side of the football.

Kristopher Robertson
Defensive Back
5’8” 183 pounds
Concordia

Forde: “For a guy like Kris who wasn’t invited to the Toronto Combine, I think you make the obvious argument that his stock goes up, just by virtue of the fact that he earned his way in there. He didn’t look out of place with guys who were invited to Toronto ahead of him.”

“The thing I would say about Kris is that his testing was very good at the East West Bowl last year, so the things that he did at the combine were things that you knew he could do. He can run, jump and he’s very athletic. The concern remains the same with Kris - his size, he’s going to be a little bit limited because of it. I think the competitive fire aspect, with a guy like him, coming in and testing through the charts despite the fact that he had already done the testing earlier in the week is certainly a positive for Kris. I would label him as one of those guys who came from outside of the conversation, to at least put himself in the draft conversation.”

Combine: Robertson Blazes to Top 40

“The other downside is obviously there isn’t a ton of jobs for Canadian defensive backs in the CFL. You maybe look at a guy like Kris with that kind of speed [4.42 in the 40] and athletic ability, depending what he shows if he’s able to get into a camp - and what he’s got on film - maybe becomes a guy who can be a headache for people on special teams because of his ability to get down the field. But again, a little bit of that is going to take overcoming his size.”

Jermaine Gabriel
Defensive Back
5’9” 190 pounds
Calgary Colts CJFL

Forde: “I would say stock up for Jermaine. To me the book on him is probably a little different in that he’s a little bit bigger, but ran well. He’s a guy who has a little bit of a reputation for being a physical player. So I think that benefits him.”

“One of the hesitations for a guy like Jermaine is the fact that the last couple years he’s spent off the beaten path so to speak, because he was playing junior football instead of CIS. A lot of the scouts are trying to gauge him and where he fits in.”
“Two years ago he was one of the top defensive backs in the 2013 draft class, but is he still because he hasn’t played against the same level of competition as the other guys have playing in the CIS.”

“It was a positive combine for Jermaine because I don’t think he looked out of place. I think he’s most likely a free safety and he’s got to take advantage of his physical side to play that spot – use his speed to show some range, but I think he has to be physical.”

Mike Edem
Linebacker/ Defensive Back
6’0” 205 pounds
Calgary

Forde: “He’s probably as much in the mix as a defensive back as he is as a linebacker. He’s bigger and just as athletic as any of the defensive backs that were at the combine. I would say that for me, he is the best defensive back prospect in this draft class.”

“My concern with him coming into the combine and being a highly regarded prospect is, okay, he’s a great CIS player but what’s his position as a pro and does he have a spot in the CFL.”

“The thing that sold me on Mike is he’s just so athletic. I think size-wise he’ll be fine to grow into a backup SAM or WILL linebacker and you will want him to learn those spots in camp, but you also want him to learn fee safety because that may ultimately be his spot. I think athletically he showed that he’s a guy who you find a spot for him, basically. He’ll be able to play special teams and be able to contribute because he’s got good instincts and has a nose for the football - certainly athletic enough.”

“The way a lot of CFL defences are I could see him backing up at SAM. I don’t know as a young Canadian guy you want to have him spending his days matched up on the number three receiver all game. A guy like Nik Lewis would be his worst nightmare. I think Edem is a guy that as his career goes on and he gets his feet wet in the CFL he can maybe get you through a game playing one of the outside linebacker spots if you need him too. It depends on the scheme, you may have certain packages where he can play a little bit for you on defence, but absolutely I think he’s a guy who can turn out to be a handful on special teams.”

Ben D’Aguilar
Defensive Line
6’1” 239 pounds
McMaster

Forde: “Ben, to truly evaluate him, you need to look a lot at game film. No question he’s a good athlete. A lot of Ben’s success last year at McMaster hinged on the fact that he was a far better athlete than the people who were trying to block him at the CIS level. It was just a mismatch, when he was turned loose and went after the quarterback, people couldn’t handle him. Whether he can do that against bigger and more athletic CFL tackles, with things happening faster around him and having to process and adjust, those are the things you have to evaluate and determine when deciding where Ben fits in this draft.”

Combine: Ben D'Aguilar 1-on-1

“For him to play defensive end on most CFL teams, you’re looking at him competing with an American player, unless you’re looking at a team like Saskatchewan and looking at him to backup Ricky Foley or maybe develop into a rotation guy - if you see Ben fitting into that kind of role.”

“Athletically there is no question he’s a guy who can compete at the next level. But again I think there is always a challenge for Canadian defensive ends, particularly the CIS guys, because it’s a different game based on who you’re going to be playing against at the defensive end spot in the CFL. That’s the challenge.”

“You have to decide can he contribute something for you on special teams and is he going to be able to – you don’t expect any player to be as dominant in the CFL as they were in college whether he is Canadian or American – make plays in the CFL based on what you saw from him making plays in college. That’s what you have to determine from the game film.”

Linden Gaydosh
Defensive Line
6’3” 314 pounds
Calgary

Forde: “Gaydosh for me was the best player on the field on Sunday of the combine. He had the best combine of anybody. If rankings were based solely on the combine Linden Gaydosh would be the number one guy.”

“I thought Gaydosh was more dynamic and dominant than I expected. I think most people would say and know he’s a very good player, but I think he showed, relative to the rest of the defensive linemen group, even better than expected.”

Stefan Charles
Defensive Line
6’4” 324 pounds
Regina

Forde: “Stefan Charles certainly wasn’t a disappointment, outside of wanting to see him do more on the bench press. Other than that, Stefan Charles, for me, lived up to his billing.”

Elie Ngoyi
Defensive Line
6’0” 258 pounds
Bishop’s

Forde: “To me he’s a guy who is probably a defensive end rather than a defensive tackle. I know he took reps at both positions at the combine, but I’m not sure if he’s not better off a little bit lighter and playing strictly as an end. Rather than trying to play inside, although I know as a Canadian guy you always want to have as much versatility as you can.”

Combine: Ngoyi Pumps Out 40 Bench Reps

“He’s a tough and athletic guy. On the athleticism scale he’s not quite D’Aguilar and as an inside guy, obviously he’s not in the same class as Gaydosh and Charles, but he’s a guy who I would say is in the mix. A guy who can play a little bit for you on special teams should he have the opportunity to make a roster. He’s going to be challenged in terms of his versatility to play on the inside. He might want to play a little bit lighter and concentrate on being a defensive end and special teams guy.”

Michael Klassen
Defensive Line
6’4” 267 pounds
Calgary

Forde: “He’s a guy who I think has some upside because I think he can play heavier than his current weight. Sometimes you don’t want to get too sucked in by testing results by how athletic a guy is when he’s lighter than the rest of his group. I think that’s what happened with Klassen.”

“Certainly a guy with some upside because I think he’s got a frame where he could play heavier than he was and be an inside guy. He’s another guy who came from off the radar and put himself in the mix. Klassen could play some special teams at his current weight, but could be more of a factor on the defensive line rotation being a bit heavier. He was kind of light for a defensive tackle, but the fact is he was still third among the group on the bench press and that was with him having done another combine earlier in the week. Looking at that I would say he was another guy who had an impressive combine showing.”

Stock Assessment: Forde's look at the offence
0 Posted: March 29, 2013 01:00 PM
Updated: March 29, 2013 01:11 PM

Justin Dunk
CFL.ca
For the second and final installment of the 2013 edition of stock up, stock down or stock hold with TSN Canadian Football League analyst Duane Forde, we focus on the offensive players eligible for the upcoming CFL Draft.

Steven Lumbala
Running Back
5’10” 216 pounds
Calgary

Forde: “Steven Lumbala came into the 2012 season with a chance to kind of – where he would want to go with his stock – show that he could maybe be the next Canadian to be a starting running back in the CFL. I don’t think his regular season necessarily went that way and I don’t think his combine went way. I would’ve liked for Lumbala to run better than he did and obviously getting hurt doesn’t really help.”

Video Combine: Steven Lumbala 1-on-1
“For Steven there is a ton of very good game film over the course of four years, but as I’ve said my concern is that his game film from his first three years might actually be better than his game film from his fourth and draft year. You have to question whether that was injuries or whether part of that was for the first three years he was sharing the backfield with guys like Matt Walter and at one point it was him, Walter and Anthony Woodson all in the same backfield. You question whether he’s not in his best position as an every down back. But he’s a guy based on what you’ve seen over that whole four-year picture, I think he’s a guy you have to take a long hard look at. Overall I think he’s still the number one guy in the running back group.”

Rotrand Sene
Running Back
5’9” 212 pounds
Montreal

Forde: “You could say Rotrand Sene is down a little bit. Based on what Sene has done in college he’s another guy that you would almost argue with him because he hasn’t been asked to block, he hasn’t been asked to catch the ball in four years, you wanted to see him show that he is a real athletic guy, an explosive guy, who might be able to run the ball a little bit for you. But he didn’t show that and his 40-yard time was not good.”

Brendan Gillanders
Running Back
6’1” 203 pounds
Ottawa

Forde: “A guy who’s stock really improved for me is Brendan Gillanders because he tested so well. He showed himself as the explosive athlete that you would’ve wanted Lumbala to demonstrate himself as in the testing. Part of the knock on Gillanders through four years has been injuries, so it wasn’t ideal for him to come to the combine and get injured. In spite of the injury, I think people talk about him a little more and take a longer look at him now than they might have. People aren’t going to hurry to look at a Canadian running back, but I think now you realize how athletic he is, if you didn’t realize it before, and maybe take a little bit of a longer look at him. The injury is not ideal when that’s been part of the knock on him through his college career. He’s been a high-end guy, but injuries have been a problem.”

Isaac Dell
Running Back
5’11” 214 pounds
Wilfrid Laurier

Forde: “Based traditionally on what the fullback role has been in the Laurier offence I think very much so, if you’re looking for a Patrick Lavoie-type who’s a fullback, who can occasionally release into the pattern, catch the football and block a little bit, offer you that versatility, I think Isaac Dell is probably the closest thing to Lavoie in this draft.”

Eddie Houghton
Running Back
6’1” 225 pounds
Holy Cross

Forde: “He’s a guy, for me, who’s stock was higher three or four years ago within this class than it was by the end of his college career. He probably played more as a freshman than he did as a senior. Sometimes that just happens, depending on who gets recruited in the years after you that sometimes you find yourself in the right place at the right time as a freshman, then somebody better comes along in a subsequent recruiting class and that’s life.”

Matt Sewell
Offensive Line
6’7” 339 pounds
McMaster

Forde: “The fact remains that he will still be the first offensive lineman off the board. The only thing that possibly alters that hinges on what goes on with his NFL hopes. A guy his size who moves fairly well, and just in terms of tools nobody else really has what Sewell possesses. Nobody else in the draft is what he is.”

“Yeah I think there was an opportunity for him to cement himself, but by the same token, with the nature of the CFL Draft, the better he would’ve done probably both helps him and hurts him. His one-on-ones at the combine were rough. But if he comes in and is the offensive version of what Linden Gaydosh did, at his size, the fear then becomes or the likelihood then becomes, Matt Sewell is an NFL guy and it almost makes teams more weary. In a way by maybe not having the greatest combine, it might be a good thing from a CFL point of view and increases the likelihood of him being here.”

Chris Mercer
Offensive Line
6’6” 305 pounds
Regina

Forde: “The only guy who improved his stock during the one-on-ones was Chris Mercer. Mercer is a guy that I’ve liked for a couple years and he’s been on my radar for a couple years. He was a pretty good junior before he went to the University of Regina.”

“I’ve liked him for a while and he hasn’t gotten a lot of hype. Part of that comes from being overshadowed by playing on the same line as Brett Jones who is one of those guys that everybody talks about. I thought Mercer was very good. And one of the things that Mercer has that I love is that he plays with a little bit of an edge and I like that in an offensive lineman. “

Corey Watman
Offensive Line
6’1” 285 pounds
Eastern Michigan

Forde: “Corey Watman has played a lot at Eastern Michigan and has a lot of film. Watman as an NCAA Division-One guy and a guy who has been a three-year starter down in the states, you came in with the expectation that he was going to be dominant in one-on-ones. But it’s a defensive drill, and for Watman, I think the yard made a difference in his timing. Here’s a guy who is used to having someone right on him and it’s different. He struggled a little bit and had a rough time in the one-on-ones. His one-on-one showing hurts him because it’s the first time with all eyes on him and a lot of people really watching him live for the first time. Watman’s stock went down with an opportunity to move up that he didn’t necessarily grasp. But, again, it’s one day in an evaluation that’s based on four years.”

Brett Jones
Offensive Line
6’1” 307 pounds
Regina - Stock Hold

Forde: “I would’ve like to have seen Brett Jones do better in the one-on-ones, but you’re not going to evaluate their whole weekend or even their entire draft stock just on the one-on-ones.”

Matthew Albright
Offensive Line
6’4” 298 pounds
Saint Mary’s

Forde: “Albright surprised me by how athletic he is. I think for offensive linemen CFL teams aren’t going to look for most of those guys to become starters for a couple years. You talk about potential and I think he’s a guy who definitely showed some of that at the combine.”

Matt Vonk
Offensive Line
6’3” 289 pounds
Waterloo

Forde: “Vonk is a little bit light, but he’s a pretty athletic guy. He’s got a frame where he could probably play at 300 pounds. He is probably a centre and could maybe help out at guard a little bit. On his athleticism alone he’s certainly intriguing.”

Seydou Junior Haidara
Receiver
6’0” 206 pounds
Laval

Forde: “The guy I liked best of the receivers, and this is just a personal taste thing, in terms of what I liked, is Haidara. I like that he is a big body, he is

Video Seydou Junior Haidara 1-on-1 physical and he runs pretty well for his size. He was a really highly recruited guy coming out of high school. I looked back to an article I wrote when this draft class was all freshmen and he was a guy that I had regarded really highly. He’s turned into a really good player. He went through a period, as some receivers do, with dropped balls, but I liked what he became in his senior year.”

Alex Anthony
Receiver
6’1” 207 pounds
Wilfrid Laurier

Forde: “I’m an Alex Anthony fan. I always liked him as a player and I liked seeing him again. Anthony is a guy who has been fairly high on my radar since coming out of high school. Anthony was talked about as a guy who had a possibility of going south and ended up at Laurier. He kind of got derailed by an injury in his third year, but I thought watching him, looking specifically at his 40 times at the East West Bowl last year and at the combine this year, to me he’s healthy again. He’s a pretty smooth receiver and a guy who can make some big plays given the opportunity.”

Yannick Morin Plante
Receiver
6’0” 189 pounds
Laval

Forde: “We knew he was a burner and that’s what separates him from the rest of the receiver group. He showed his strength by doing well on the bench, so he’s not just a skinny fast guy. Morin Plante’s stock went up a little bit because he proved to be one of the fastest guys at the combine, he has good size and has been a productive player.”

Stephen Adekolu
Receiver
6’3” 196 pounds
Bishop’s

Forde: “One of my disappointments of the weekend, I thought it was very unfortunate, that Stephen Adekolu got hurt. There are no real first round locks among the receivers this year, where in past years we’ve had that. I find it very wide open among the receivers.”

“I look at Adekolu and the thing he reminded me of a little bit at my combine this year was Spencer Watt. A guy who was at my combine in 2010 that no one could cover and all of a sudden Spencer Watt was a third round pick. I saw a lot of that with Stephen Adekolu where he was the guy that nobody could cover. I thought here’s a guy who runs pretty well, is strong, big and I would’ve liked to have seen him go up against the same competition as the other receivers on Sunday of the combine.”

Mike DiCroce
Receiver
5’10” 189 pounds
McMaster

Forde: “I thought DiCroce, particularly by running well, and I thought he had a couple of good one-on-one reps, had a good combine. I thought for DiCroce the big question mark was where he was health-wise after the season he had last year. He was more of a question mark than a low grade for me coming in. I think he probably lived up to closer to the higher side of what he is.”

Video Combine: Michael DiCroce 1-on-1
“My one hesitation with Mike, compared to a kid like Haidara, is I think Mike is going to be limited to only being a Z (outside) receiver, I don’t think he’s going to be a guy who can play in the slot. He has trouble getting off the jam and I saw that still existed with the guys that were most physical with him during the one-on-ones on Sunday of the combine. He still has some trouble getting off of the jam. That’s why I see him as a guy that’s probably just going to be a Z receiver.”

“Other than my one hesitation with him, I think you saw mostly positive from Mike DiCroce. I think you can certainly qualify that as his stock up from the question mark that he had coming in. Right now he’s closer to the guy who was a Hec Crighton finalist in 2011 than the guy who was injured in 2012.”

A look at some of the names to watch for at this weekend's CFL Combine in Toronto.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Big Names: Defensive tackle Stefan Charles (Regina) is a legit NFL prospect while fellow DT Linden Gaydosh (Calgary) is one of the strongest players in this class. Athletic end Ben D'Aguilar is the most athletic lineman in the draft and reigning Metras Trophy winner (Top Lineman in CIS).

Burning Combine Question: Can Stefan Charles perform to his potential and prove himself to be a dominant force?

Possible Sleepers: Bishop's players notoriously step up in combine settings and Gaiter DE Elie Ngoyi matched Gaydosh with 31 reps on the bench at the East West Bowl last May. John Miniaci (Queen's) beat out both Charles and Gaydosh for a DT spot on the CIS All-Canadian team last fall.

Who's Missing?: Andy Mulumba (Eastern Michigan) is a late scratch due to a shoulder injury. As impressive as the D-Line crop will be at E-Camp, imagine how it would look if redshirts Brent Urban (DT, Virginia), Jesse Joseph (DE, Connecticut), Hosam Shahin (DT, Rice), Kalonji Kashama (DE, Eastern Michigan), and Connor Williams (DE, Utah State) were in attendance.

Random Thoughts: Although offensive line and receiver are the most "traditionally Canadian" positions in the CFL, this is the second consecutive year that the D-Line has been the marquee group in the draft.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Big Names: Gigantic tackle Matt Sewell is a perennial All-Canadian and represented the CIS in the East West Shrine game in Florida in January. Cory Watman has played a lot of football against Division 1 competition, as a three-year starter at Eastern Michigan, while Brett Jones, perhaps the smartest player in the draft, has drawn frequent comparisons to fellow Regina product Brendon LaBatte.

Burning Combine Question: Matt Sewell has great feet for a 330 lbs. man but does he move well enough to handle the speed of CFL defensive ends?

Possible Sleepers: Matt Vonk (Waterloo) is one the most athletic offensive lineman in the CIS and Matthew Albright (St. Mary's) had an impressive East West Bowl last spring.

Who's Missing?: Although he has battled injuries throughout his college career, Nolan MacMillan (Iowa) is the most talented of the redshirts but Brander Craighead (Texas-El Paso) and 6'7" OT Hunter Steward (Liberty) are also highly regarded. Alexis Rousseau-Saine has been a CIS stud for four years but it has long been known that he will pursue a career helping people (medicine) rather than hurting them (football).

Random Thoughts: With the knowledge that virtually every CFL Draft will see more players drafted at O-Line than any other position, the league should consider bringing more of them to the main Combine. I can't speak to the Edmonton and Quebec City regionals but Kevin Croft (Sherbrooke) and Shane Bergman (Western) were impressive enough at the National Invitational Combine to warrant a further look against the top prospects.

LINEBACKERS

Big Names: Converted DB Mike Edem (Calgary) rocketed up the Canadian Scouting Bureau rankings after a monster season in which he was named Canada West's top defensive player.

Burning Combine Question: As a hybrid LB, does Mike Edem have a true position in the CFL or will he be labeled a "tweener"?

Possible Sleepers: In recent years, Sherbrooke has developed a tradition of producing very good linebackers. Last season, after a couple of years of being overshadowed by Felipe Fonseca and Kevin Régimbald, Nicolas Boulay emerged as the leader of the Vert et Or LB corps and has the potential to step up this weekend as well.

Who's Missing?: Redshirt Bo Lokombo (Oregon) is the best football player in this draft class and will garner NFL attention in 2014.

Random Thoughts: Most Canadian linebackers are primarily special teamers in the CFL. I'll be curious to see if the league finds any time to do some special teams drills during Sunday's on field sessions so that these prospects can be appropriately evaluated.

RUNNING BACKS

Big Names: Steven Lumbala has been talked about as a potential CFLer for the last four years and Rotrand Sené (Montreal) is a perennial Hec Crighton contender.

Burning Combine Question: After being slowed by nagging injuries in 2012, does Steven Lumbala still possess the explosiveness that he displayed in his first three CIS seasons?

Possible Sleepers: The Bishop's Gaiters running back spot has been a revolving door since Jamall Lee left for the CFL four years ago but, last season, 245 lbs. Matt Burke carried the load. With the CFL's current demand for true fullbacks far exceeding its supply, Burke will receive a long look this weekend.

Who's Missing?: Zack Skibin (Acadia) tested well at the East West Bowl but a serious knee injury wiped out his 2012 season and his Combine hopes.

Random Thoughts: When I updated my files on this draft class three years ago, the RB position was deep in high end prospects. However, a year later, that had changed dramatically. Jeff Hassler (Saskatchewan) and Jordan Wilson-Ross (Ottawa) were in the class of Lumbala and Sené as burgeoning CIS stars but both gave up football for rugby and are now national team players in that sport. Meanwhile, after seeing regular playing time as NCAA FCS (Division 1-AA) true freshmen, neither Daniel Heslop (Savannah State) nor Remi Biakabutuka completed his college career. North of the border, Matt Socholotiuk (Waterloo) also had an impressive freshman season but is just now returning to football after serving a three-year suspension for the use of a banned substance. Like Hassler and Wilson-Ross, he also found another sport during his time on the sidelines, excelling in the world of mixed martial arts.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Big Names: Cameron Wade (Acadia) and Michael Daly (McMaster) are the only 2012 CIS All-Canadians among this group but Patrick Chenard (Sherbrooke) has been an impact player for the Vert et Or over the course of his career.

Burning Combine Question: Who will emerge this weekend as the top prospect in this wide open group of defensive backs?

Possible Sleepers: Kris Robertson is the smallest DB at the Combine but also likely the most athletic. Originally overlooked for an invitation, he earned his way in with his performance at the Quebec City regional combine earlier this week.

Who's Missing?: Joey Cupido (McMaster) has had a very successful CIS football career playing in a highly visible program but he also already has a pro sports career with the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League. Redshirt Tolu Akinwumi (Rice) is a tremendous athlete with good size but sat out the 2012 season with an arm injury and is likely to sit out this fall as well.

Random Thoughts: Simply put, the number of draft prospects at defensive back is always disproportionate to the small number of CFL jobs available for Canadian DBs and this discrepancy has become even more pronounced over the last 15 years, as the number of designated import spots has risen from one to three and several teams have opted to start five import DBs. If any of these young men want to find pro employment, they need to shine this weekend.

RECEIVERS

Big Names: Mike DiCroce (McMaster) was a Hec Crighton finalist in 2011. Among draft eligible receivers, no one averaged more catches or yards per game in 2012 than Chris Dobko (Calgary). Three of the ten receivers at the Combine are from the reigning Vanier Cup Champion Laval Rouge et Or (Yannick Morin Plante, Seydou Junior Haïdara, and Guillaume Rioux).

Burning Combine Question: Can Mike DiCroce show that he has fully recovered from the injuries that severely limited his 2012 season or will the door remain wide open for someone else, perhaps Simon LeMarquand, to establish himself as the top receiver at the Combine?

Possible Sleepers: The Waterloo football program is still in rebuilding mode but one of the bright spots last fall was All-Canadian receiver Nick Anapolsky, who was second in the CIS in both catches and receiving yards.

Who's Missing?: 6'5" burner Stephen Alli (Florida) and Natey Adjei (Buffalo) likely would have been at or near the top of the receiver testing board had they been in attendance. Adjei will return for his final season with the Bulls. The enigmatic Alli also has a year of remaining NCAA eligibility but has already graduated from Florida and is slated to continue his graduate studies at UF...but not play football there next year. His situation is further clouded by his slow recovery from a lower leg stress fracture.

Random Thoughts: 6'4" Steven Adekolu (Bishop's) was added to the mix after an outstanding performance at Friday's National Invitational Combine. His dominance at the event was reminiscent of that of current Toronto Argonaut Spencer Watt at the inaugural NIC in 2010. Like Watt, who became a third round pick that year, Adekolu hopes to leapfrog several receivers who had been invited to the Combine ahead of him.

QUARTERBACKS

Big Names: Regina born Cayman Shutter played his minor football in Saskatchewan before his family moved to Hawaii when he was 11. At Honolulu's Punahou High School (Barack Obama's alma mater), he developed into an All-State performer and State Champion before signing with the University of Hawaii. He was on track to become the Rainbows starter in 2012 before a DUI charge earned him a team imposed suspension and kept him out of spring camp. He graduates this spring and chose to forfeit his last year of NCAA eligibility to give the CFL a shot.

Burning Combine Question: Can Cayman Shutter live up to his pre-Hawaii potential?

Possible Sleepers: Myles Gibbon may be overshadowed by Shutter because the latter played at Hawaii while Gibbon split his career between South Alabama and York...but Gibbon was a former starter at USA and h's impact on the York program in just one season speaks volumes.

Who's Missing?: It's tough to argue that any other draft eligible QB has as much pro potential as Shutter and Gibbons.

Random Thoughts: For the first time ever, the CFL Combine features two quarterbacks with actual NCAA Division 1 playing experience. Although Shutter and Gibbons PT down south was limited, this is symbolic of how the current generation of young Canadian QBs, including a wave of CIS studs, is closing the gap on its American counterparts.

KICKERS

Big Names: Lirim Hajrullahu is very familiar to CFL scouts, having attended the last two CIS East West Bowls.

Burning Combine Question: After only being asked to handle placekicking duties for his first three CIS seasons, has Lirim Hajrullaju's punting improved enough in the last year to earn him a CFL job?

Possible Sleepers: Brett Lauther (St. Mary's) had the unenviable task of following AUS legend and current Winnipeg Blue Bomber Justin Palardy as the Huskies kicker. He improved his field goal accuracy from 63% in 2011 to 80% last fall. He has also raised his punting average by about three yards per year over his three seasons as a starter.

Who's Missing?: Billy Pavlopoulos (British Columbia) missed the 2012 season while serving a suspension for using a supplement that contained a banned substance. However, he is the best punter in this draft class and perhaps the best all around kicking prospect as well.

Random Thoughts: This is a good time to be a Canadian kicking prospect in the CFL. Over the last few seasons, former Toronto Argonaut and Hamilton Tiger-Cat Justin Medlock, with his 60-yard range and 90% accuracy, is the only American kicker who has justified his team's use of a designated import spot to fill that role. Teams would be wise to continue the trend of keeping and developing young, non-import kickers so they're never forced to by injury to juggle the ratio and use an import.

For up to the minute CFL Combine news throughout the weekend, follow @DuaneFordeTSN, @FarhanLaljiTSN, and @TSNKate on Twitter.

OV - 54:40 wrote:I wonder if Wally might be willing to use his first pick on Mike Edem - CanWest D player of the year at OLB, but maybe viewed as a safety type in the CFL? - ran a very good 40 time, has big S size and the tackling ability to play LB, but started out as a S in CIS ball i believe; and a possible challenger for a starting S job if the Lions are set on going NI there? Be nice to use a first rounder on a player who can come in and challenge for playing time right away (like Westerman last year, and also Norman - a steal in the later rounds); Edem might not be ready to start right away at S, but then again, maybe he could; and should be a good special teamer ace type right away.

Justin Dunk
@JDunk12

Canadian DL Andy Mulumba & Stefan Charles have been flown around for interviews with a number of #NFL teams. Both could be NFL draftees.
5:29 p.m. Tue, Apr 16

WestCoastJoe wrote:Wow. A Panel secected the top 10 draft picks of the last 5 years. Three Lions. IMO Jabar Westerman is right up there with our three receivers, Gore, Foster and Iannuzzi.

http://cfl.ca/photo_gallery/gallery/9537

Rammer wrote:

WestCoastJoe wrote:Wow. A Panel secected the top 10 draft picks of the last 5 years. Three Lions. IMO Jabar Westerman is right up there with our three receivers, Gore, Foster and Iannuzzi.

http://cfl.ca/photo_gallery/gallery/9537

Plus Westerman is a ration breaker, just not enough contract underneath him I suspect.

BTW, WCJ, did you mean selected or secreted...

Rammer wrote:

WestCoastJoe wrote:Wow. A Panel secected the top 10 draft picks of the last 5 years. Three Lions. IMO Jabar Westerman is right up there with our three receivers, Gore, Foster and Iannuzzi.

http://cfl.ca/photo_gallery/gallery/9537

Plus Westerman is a ration breaker, just not enough contract underneath him I suspect.

BTW, WCJ, did you mean selected or secreted...

The players who made the biggest jump after a strong showing at the CFL Combine presented by Reebok were University of Calgary linebacker Mike Edem who jumped four spots to 10 and Universite de Laval wide receiver Seydou Junior Haidara who appears on the ranking for the first time at 11.
BY THE NUMBERS

The ranking includes seven defensive linemen, five offensive linemen, two linebackers, and one receiver.

Fourteen of the 15 ranked players on last year’s CFL Scouting Bureau list heading into the draft were selected in the 2012 CFL Canadian Draft. Five of those players were selected in the first round.

Here is the full ranking:

1. (1) Bo Lokombo LB Oregon
2. (4) Stefan Charles DL Regina
3. (3) Linden Gaydosh DL Calgary
4. (2) Matt Sewell OL McMaster
5. (6) Andy Mulumba DL Eastern Michigan
6. (10) Nolan MacMillan OL Iowa
7. (5) Ben D’Aguilar DL McMaster
8. (11) Brett Jones OL Regina
9. (9) Brent Urban DL Virginia
10. (14) Mike Edem LB Calgary
11. (NR) Seydou Junior Haidara WR Laval
12. (7) Corey Watman OL Eastern Michigan
13. (8) Jesse Joseph DL UCONN
14. (NR ) Connor Williams DL Utah St.
15. (NR) Brander Craighead OL UTEP

1
Linden Gaydosh - DL
Gaydosh was the talk of the 2013 CFL Combine and the Ticats snag a player who should be a mainstay on the defensive front for years to come.

2
Ben D'Aguilar - DL
Some scouts aren’t sold on D’Aguilar, but there is no doubt he is a specimen. The Bombers like his athletic ability and think he has the potential to be a ratio-breaker at defensive end.

3
Matt Sewell - OL
The Als, who start two non-import offensive tackles, jump on the best offensive tackle prospect that can come in and develop right away instead of waiting a year for an NCAA junior.

4
Mike Edem - LB
Edem’s best position fit might be at free safety, which gives the Riders depth behind Craig Butler. He should be a special teams demon from day one and could see playing time on defence in certain special packages.

5
Seydou Junior Haidara - REC
Local product had a big time showing at the combine and would instantly become the best Canadian receiver on the Alouettes roster.

6
Corey Watman - OL
Watman interviewed well at the combine and has lots of good film against quality competition from Eastern Michigan. BC gets some youth for the offensive line and a possible replacement for Angus Reid.

7
Brent Urban - DL
After losing Brian Bulcke in free agency the Stamps reload along the defensive line with the big Virginia Cavalier.

8
Nolan McMillan - OL
Flashes all kinds of potential when healthy for the Hawkeyes, needs to prove he can consistently stay on the field and out of the trainer’s room.

9
Brander Craighead - OL
Craighead has played a lot so far in his college career for the UTEP Miners. A local talent becomes the first draft pick of the new Ottawa franchise.