UCONN Athletics
CFL.ca Staff
TORONTO — The Ottawa REDBLACKS aren’t naming any names, but the clues are beginning to add up as far as the first overall pick goes in this weekend’s 2015 CFL Draft.
Nothing’s guaranteed and as history has taught us, professional entry drafts rarely if ever go according to the script. Teams aren’t typically willing to share their draft strategy ahead of time while smokescreens are all too common.
Yet based on the REDBLACKS’ off-season and the strength of this year’s draft along with some recent comments by General Manager Marcel Desjardins, there are a few things we can assume going into the team’s first overall choice:
1. The REDBLACKS will not trade the pick.
In a surprise move last season, the Ottawa REDBLACKS traded the first overall draft pick in exchange for offensive lineman Jon Gott. With different circumstances surrounding the team a year later to go with what’s been described as a much stronger draft class, Desjardins says it’s highly unlikely this pick gets moved.
“I don’t see any way we don’t make that pick ourselves,” said Desjardins during his pre-draft media availability late last week. “It’s a function of where we are now compared to a year ago.”
“We didn’t have an offensive line per say a year ago, so we’re in a much better place right now. We’re much better.”
The third-year GM also said this year’s draft is stronger than last year’s and probably next year’s too, more reason for Ottawa to keep the pick and look to add a potential franchise cornerstone.
“It’s a very good draft, very good,” said Desjardins. “Much better than last year.”
“I would venture to say even though it’s early that it’s probably going to be better than next year’s, so it’s a very good draft.”
More teams may call looking to acquire the pick, but at this point Desjardins would probably have to be blown away by any incoming offer.
2. It will be an offensive lineman.
The depth of any CFL draft usually comes along the offensive line and that’s also the case entering this draft. Five of the top 10-ranked players in the final CFL Scouting Bureau rankings are offensive linemen, and Desjardins has gone on the record saying that will be Ottawa’s likely direction.
“I think it’s safe to say, but I wouldn’t say it’s an absolute,” said Desjardins on the topic of taking an offensive lineman.
Unless something drastic changes between now and Tuesday night, expect the REDBLACKS to take an offensive lineman.
3. It will be a player not NFL-bound and one ready to contribute now.
While plenty of hype surrounds some of the top-ranked players getting a look down south at NFL camps, the REDBLACKS say they won’t be taking any risks with the number one pick. They’re hoping to get a player that can contribute almost right away and will be in camp from day one.
For that reason, the team may not be sold on a number one overall pick until the clock winds all the way down as virtually every player in the Scouting Bureau’s top 10 is either under NFL contract or recently visited an NFL mini-camp.
“It’s tricky,” said Desjardins. “We just have to do our homework and stay in touch with the teams that we can and find out how things will fall at the end of the day on Tuesday.”
“I would say there are probably three or four guys for us right at the very top, but for us it’s a function of the criteria we talked about – the availability, the health, all of those things,” he continued.
“I think we know who we’d pick if he were 100 per cent available, so we just have to wait and see how that plays out.”
Given those three clues, who can we assume is currently on the REDBLACKS’ radar? Brett Boyko would be out of the equation having signed a contract as an undrafted free agent with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.
Sukh Chungh and Sean McEwen are top talents and neither has earned a contract so far after participating in a rookie mini-camp for the New York Giants.
Chungh is an aggressive, hard-hitting blocker that could provide the REDBLACKS’ line with some attitude. McEwen is no slouch either though and would offer Ottawa’s O-line plenty of versatility having played centre at the University of Calgary.
The favourites, however, have to be Danny Groulx and Alex Mateas. Both have close ties to Ottawa and are the highest-rated offensive linemen on the board other than Boyko.
Groulx, a Laval graduate with family living in Ottawa, is known for his raw physical power and aggressive mentality. Mateas was born in Ottawa and lived there growing up, but after a collegiate career as a starter and a captain at Connecticut is considered one of the most pro-ready players in the draft.
While it’s hard to pick between these four players, Groulx is getting the nod as a consensus number one pick atop many mock drafts. Yet as we know all too well, there are no guarantees on draft day.
Potentially add to the equation the fast-rising Jacob Ruby and it’s clear to see that the REDBLACKS have a lot of choices with the top pick.
With the latest edition of the Great Debate, it’s your turn to weigh in. Who do you think the REDBLACKS will take first overall?
