CFL Draft Thread for May 6, 2013 ... Picks & Comments

[WestCoastJoe]

CFL Draft: B.C. Lions take offensive lineman Hunter Steward with sixth overall pick

By Cam Tucker

The B.C. Lions looked to add to their offensive line by selecting Hunter Steward with the sixth overall in the Canadian Football League draft on Monday morning.

Steward is originally from Kingston, Ont., but moved to Virginia Beach before his senior year of high school. He enrolled at Kellam High School in Virginia, began his college football career as a defensive tackle with the Virginia Cavaliers before transferring to Liberty University and converting to the offensive line.

“We were looking for the highest ceiling, if you will,” said Lions head coach Mike Benevides.

“He’s tough, he’s long, he’s got great movement skills, so that was the guy when we look at everybody that was left that was attractive to us.”

Steward transferred from Virginia to Liberty in 2011, forcing him to sit out a year.

It was at Liberty that he made the switch from the defensive line to the offensive line. He still has a year of NCAA eligibility remaining. As an NCAA redshirt junior, the Lions cannot have any contact with the player.

Members of the Lions’ organization saw film from 12 of Steward’s games last season, which was his first as an offensive lineman, said Kelly Bates, the Lions’ running backs coach and CFL Draft coordinator.

“I’m going to tell you he didn’t get by on technique. He got by on being mean and aggressive,” said Bates.

“To see the growth through the season and watching the film from start to finish, that gives you high hope.”

The Lions then selected wide receiver Seydou Junior Haidara out of Laval in the second round with the 12th overall pick.

He joins a receiving corps that already has a nice contingent of Canadian talent, including Akeem Foster, Marco Iannuzzi, Shawn Gore and Paris Jackson.

“To me, it’s not a threat. It’s just an opportunity to be a better football player,” said Haidara in a conference call with reporters.

Haidara said he still has a year of CIS eligibility with Laval, however his goal is to make the Lions out of training camp.

“I’m ready to step to the next level. That’s my goal,” he said.

In the third round, the Lions selected University of Oregon Ducks’ linebacker Bo Lokombo, who grew up in Abbotsford and played for the W.J. Mouat Hawks in program.

Lokombo is also a redshirt junior, giving the Lions two in their first three selections. It’s also a possibility Lokombo gets a good look in the NFL.

But in Lokombo, the Lions saw, “…way too much value to pass up,” said Benevides.

[WestCoastJoe]

I haven't looked at the expansion rules re the draft.

There are some protections. Redshirts? If so, that might have factored in to the Lions drafting Steward in the first round.

Are this years' drafts exempt from Ottawa's draft, as with Haidara?

No D Line for Lions. Wally and Benny don't seem too worried.

Do we have the rights to enough NI O Linemen? Could we perhaps use 4 or 5 more?

So many bodies with girth kicking around, that Dorazio may miss the diamond in the rough.

[DanoT]

I haven't looked at the expansion rules re the draft.

There are some protections. Redshirts? If so, that might have factored in to the Lions drafting Steward in the first round.

Are this years' drafts exempt from Ottawa's draft, as with Haidara?

No D Line for Lions. Wally and Benny don't seem too worried.

Do we have the rights to enough NI O Linemen? Could we perhaps use 4 or 5 more?

So many bodies with girth kicking around, that Dorazio may miss the diamond in the rough.

It looks to me, based on how the lions drafted, that this year's draftees are not exempt from Ottawa's expansion draft after the 2012 season. Anyone know for sure?

[TheLionKing]

"Mean and aggressive " another Rob Murphy and Jason Jimenez ? We can hope

[notahomer]

Was able to take in the first two rounds on TSN before heading into work today. Sure filled my CFL fix. However, IMO, TSN has got some work to do on how to run a draft. Now the nuts/bolts are fine but TSN's broadcast was weird, IMO. Then again, it filled my need for CFL football, so who cares.

My beefs? Usually when a prosports team is "on the clock" you spend some time doing some background on the team on the clock. IMO, TSN was trying to juggle too many balls at once. A CIS Coaches panel here, Forde/Shultz over here, etc.... There is three minutes left on the 'CLOCK' and they break to commercial. Just seemed a little puzzling, IMO. There were some great adverts from most CFL teams showing off their season ticket campaigns. I just think I've been spoiled by the NFL draft. Or even the NHL draft. I know those are completely different as all the teams are in one place etc... I just think the production/entertainment value of the CFL draft could be improved, IMO. Sometimes, less is more.

WIll be interesting to see who becomes the winners/losers of this years draft. TSN made the Lions picks sound good but its rare to hear "WOW, this pick is right out of the box".

[DanoT]

I was expecting a bit more of a report on each teams pre draft needs. While I am aware of the Lions needs and deficiencies, I was looking for some enlightenment about the other 7 teams. TSN did a bit of presenting such info, but not much really.

[TheLionKing]

I'm not as concerned as others are about backup to Westerman. I'm sure the coaching staff have a plan to address this apparent shortcoming.

[globespanner]

The lions draft of futures rather than immediate plug and play players, was as much to do with the Ottawa entry draft as anything.

Only being able to protect 6 Canadians leaves little or no room for this years draft choices to be protected. Absolutely essential,players like Harris, Gore, westerman, one of ianuzzi or Foster, one kicker, and an offensive lineman.

Obviously the lions will, expose the old, lame, weak, Jackson, valli, ham mister -Reiss.

Drafting more players they would have to expose seems a not very Buono move. These futures will be exempt from the draft and possibly ready for next year. I like the call by Wally. The certainty of losing 2-3 young players instead of having a good chance of retaining them next year.

My own gut feel might be that the lions find a way to protect Steve Doege for one more season by sending him back to junior.

In gamesmanship Wally usually wins. Surprisingly I felt the alouettess with two first rounders too lumbala and edem, see to be inviting a raid. My thought would have been to trade one first for a choice in next years draft.

That is my two cents for what it is worth.

[B.C.FAN]

I'm not as concerned as others are about backup to Westerman. I'm sure the coaching staff have a plan to address this apparent shortcoming.

The coaches have their import ratio set, and it doesn't require an extra defensive lineman. They're prepared to again dress five imports on the defensive line to rotate with Westerman.

If the Lions want to change the ratio, and I think they might, they still have the flexibility of starting two non-import receivers on offence to allow them to start an import safety on defence. That would give them seven non-import starters on offence and allow them to use 12 imports on defence, plus two designated imports as backups.

[Hambone]

My own gut feel might be that the lions find a way to protect Steve Doege for one more season by sending him back to junior.

As Doege turned 22 back in January the Lions will retain his rights until December 15th of this year.

[DanoT]

Based on who the Lions drafted it looks like once again Westerman will be the 7th NI starter and as such can be relieved when needed, by an import as teams only need to start 6 NI.

[Hambone]

I think folks are stressing out a bit too much about the entry draft.
1) Each team will lose 1 import and 2 NIs; no more, no less.
2) For the import round teams can protect 1 QB and 10 other imports. Ottawa may only select 1 import from each team.
3) Ottawa can only take max 2 QBs.
5) For the 1st NI round each team can protect 6 NIs unless Ottawa selected a QB, kicker or punter in the import round in which case they can protect 8. Again Ottawa can only select 1 player from each team. If they are to select an NI kicker or punter they must do so in the 1st NI round. They can only select 1 kicker or punter, not one of each.
6) For the 2nd NI round each team can protect an additional 6 NIs for a total of 12. If they lost a kicker/punter in the 1st NI round they can protect 8 extra NIs for a total of 14.

So in theory teams would at worst lose their 12 best import; 7th best NI and 13th best NI. Those are not going to be debilitating losses for any team. I don't think teams will have to protect draft picks or territorial exemptions who are not under contract. For Ottawa the keys will be the 2 QBs and the NIs they select in the 1st round as this is where they will find their starting NI nucleus. The latter will be crucial if they are to be at all competitive in their first year. I don't think it would be wise draft strategy to be taking anybody in the 1st NI round who can't be a starter immediately. Young players and special teams players would be a focus of the 2nd NI round. As it is Ottawa now has rights to 4 NIs and will draft another 9 next year assuming they stay with 7 rounds. Tack on 16 more to be drafted and they have 29 NIs to start out with plus whatever they acquire via trade or free agency.

[Hambone]

Based on who the Lions drafted it looks like once again Westerman will be the 7th NI starter and as such can be relieved when needed, by an import as teams only need to start 6 NI.

Unless I missed something 7 NI starters, not 6, are still required.

[DanoT]

Based on who the Lions drafted it looks like once again Westerman will be the 7th NI starter and as such can be relieved when needed, by an import as teams only need to start 6 NI.

Unless I missed something 7 NI starters, not 6, are still required.

Oops, my bad as Westerman was the 8th NI starter for BC last season, not the 7th. But it does mean that Ottawa will be able to pick one unprotected NI starter from each team and teams like the Lions who play more NI than the minimum will have more good NI players up for grabs.

[B.C.FAN]

The Windsor Star has a nice feature with strong quotes from Mike Benevides on DB Matt McGarva, a Surrey native with Lion connections drafted in the fourth round.

Benevides said it was McGarva’s footwork at the evaluation camp that really impressed the Lions.

“He’s got great feet on top of being a character guy,” Benevides said. “He’s got great athleticism.”

McGarva could return to the Lancers for a fifth season, but is hoping he can make the transition to pro ball this season.

“I hope this is it and I can move on and start earning some money,” McGarva said. “I’ll do everything I can and hope this is it.”

Benevides believes McGarva is ready to make the transition, but expects him to move to safety in the CFL.

“Safety is what I see for him,” Benevides said.

“He’s a strong tackler with range and, in my opinion, he’s got great foot quickness. I think he’s got as good a chance as anyone else.”

Lancer McGarva to return home with Lions