Johany Jutras/CFL
Inevitably stocks rise and fall based on what happens when CFL scouts, general managers and coaches get an up-close look at many of the top draft eligible prospects.
Now that the dust has settled from a full gauntlet of CFL Combines across the country, let’s examine which players took advantage of the opportunity to perform in front of CFL talent evaluators and conversely those that may have disappointed.
Chris Ackie was the number one star of the combine. He proved to be a dynamic athlete and versatile player on the field. Ackie’s stock skyrocketed after it was all said and done. There were other athletes that pushed their stock up and also young men that saw it fall on the defensive side of the football.
Linebackers
Byron Archambault, LB, Montreal
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 243 pounds
Stock: Up
The high-profile linebacker came to the National CFL Combine sporting a sleeker looking frame. He needed to drop some pounds from his CIS playing weight to be ready for the faster pro three-down game. Archambault’s 4.18-second shuttle time – more impressive than his 41 reps on the bench – ranked first among all combine invitees.
Adrian Clarke, LB, Bishop’s
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Justin Dunk |
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 233 pounds
Stock: Up
Clarke recorded the top vertical and broad jumps and ran the fastest 40-time out of all players in the linebacker group at the combine. And he looked very smooth in the football drills.
Adam Konar, LB, Calgary
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 217 pounds
Stock: Down
After arriving late to the combine due to a flight issue, Konar put up respectable testing results. Although, he didn’t live up to his number 16 scouting bureau ranking. Konar is a pure football player above all else.
Ron Omara, LB, St. Francis Xavier
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 245 pounds
Stock: Up
For a young man that came in and weighed 245 pounds – heaviest of all linebackers at the combine – Omara showed he can move quickly and fluidly at that poundage.
Jonathan Langa, LB, Saint Mary’s
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 221 pounds
Stock: Down
Langa was the shortest linebacker at the combine and his size works against him when talking about him as a pro player. He ran the slowest 40-yard time of any player in his position group and he didn’t stand out in the pass rush or one-on-one cover sessions.
Blair Smith, LB, Angelo State
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 218 pounds
Stock: Up
Physically, Smith just looks like a CFL linebacker. He put up solid testing numbers and performed well in all the positional drills. Smith could be an instant impact special teams player.
Defensive Backs
Tevaughn Campbell, DB, Regina
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 186 pounds
Stock: Up
The fastest man to ever show up at a CFL Combine saw his stock shoot way up after Campbell burned up the 40-yard track. Most importantly for the speedy defensive back was the fact that he put forth a strong cover display in the one-on-ones, and he came away with the only interception of the combine.
Matt Isherwood, DB, Simon Fraser
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 199 pounds
Stock: Down
A slow 40-yard run and poor showing in coverage at the combine caused Isherwood’s stock to fall. Two regional combine players Dexter Janke and Kahlen Branning were leaps and bounds ahead of Isherwood at the National CFL Combine.
Brendan Morgan, DB, Queen’s
Height: 6’
Weight: 193 pounds
Stock: Up
Morgan spent time at the University of Virginia before transferring to Queen’s to finish his post-secondary playing career, so you knew his ability was there. Quietly Morgan went about his business and put together a strong performance throughout the combine weekend in Toronto.
Anthony Coady, DB, Montreal
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 195 pounds
Stock: Down
Coady’s football IQ might be his best attribute as a player, but that doesn’t translate very well into a combine setting.
