STAMPEDERS LOAD UP ON RECEIVERS
Calgary drafts three pass-catchers despite being relatively well stocked at the position
The Calgary Stampeders didn’t appear to be particularly low on Canadian receivers heading into Thursday’s CFL Draft.
After selecting Isaac Adeyemi-berglund with the third overall pick, though, the Stamps proceeded to load up on Canadian targets for quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell to find downfield.
The main Stampeders-related headlines coming out of the draft will focus on Adeyemi-berglund and president/gm John Hufnagel’s decision to trade down from the first overall pick. The Stamps traded places with the B.C. Lions, who were set to pick third, and also moved up from No. 15 to
No. 12 in the second round as part of the deal.
The addition of Adeyemi-berglund gives the Stamps an explosive and intelligent pass-rusher. He was expected to go near the top of the draft by most experts, so it was no surprise to see the Stamps take him.
That the team then picked three receivers in their next five picks was somewhat unexpected, though.
They already have the ascending Hergy Mayala — their first round pick last year — as well as Richard Sindani, Colton Hunchak and Michael Klukas all on the roster.
It’s a young group, but they all stepped up at times last season and would have been expected to make another big step forward in their development in 2020, assuming there is a season.
The Stamps felt good enough about their receiving group they decided to let Juwan Brescacin walk in free agency earlier this year. That decision was directly tied to questions about whether Brescacin would be a starter on the Stamps roster.
Of course, nobody should expect any of the players who were picked Thursday to come in and claim a starting spot immediately. Even Mayala, who looks like he could be the best Canadian receiver the Stamps have had in years, didn’t really break into the starting lineup and start putting numbers up consistently until September.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the selections the Stampeders made:
ROUND 2, 12TH OVERALL
Trivel Pinto, Receiver
University of British Columbia Pinto, who was ranked high on the CFL’S Scouting Bureau list a year ago, had his draft eligibility deferred for one year after a drug test revealed the presence of cocaine in his system. He was a first-team All-canadian in 2018, though, after setting a single-season Canada West record with 67 receptions for 916 yards and six touchdowns. The guy can flat-out play, and his abilities as a returner make him even more interesting for a Stampeders team that doesn’t have a proven, established kick returner.
ROUND 3, 21ST OVERALL
Rysen John, Receiver
Simon Fraser
John was ranked No. 18 in the most recent CFL Scouting Bureau list and actually signed with the New York Giants after the NFL Draft last week. He’s 6-foot7 and weighs 237 pounds. Assuming he comes back to the CFL, he could be a real difference maker. He almost certainly would have gone earlier if he hadn’t signed south of the border.
ROUND 3, 26TH OVERALL
Jonathan Zamora, Offensive Line St. Francis Xavier
The Stamps are extremely deep with Canadian offensive linemen, so it was no surprise they waited a while before selecting one in the draft. Zamora ticks all the boxes and comes in at 6-foot2 and 275 pounds. Nobody should be expecting him to break into the starting lineup right away, but you can never have too many O-linemen.
ROUND 4, 31ST OVERALL
Kurtis Gray, Linebacker Waterloo
The Stamps acquired this pick in the trade that sent Justin Renfrow to the Lions last season, and opted to go with a linebacker. The Stamps are actually in nice shape in terms of depth at the position, but Gray is coming off a season that saw him pick up 48.5 tackles, two sacks and an interception in eight games.
ROUND 4, 34TH OVERALL
Tyson Middlemost, Receiver Mcmaster
At 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, Middlemost has some growing to do. But he’s only 22-years-old and scouting reports suggest he’s a playmaker. The most remarkable thing about this pick, honestly, was the Stamps opted to go with yet another receiver.
ROUND 6, 52ND OVERALL
Andrew Seinet-spaulding, Defensive Line, Mcgill
You can never have too many Canadian defensive linemen, and the Stamps made sure to add another player who could provide depth behind starter Derek
Wigan and backup Vincent Desjardins in the coming seasons.
ROUND 7, 61ST OVERALL
Keiran Burnham, Kicker
St. Francis Xavier
The Stampeders signed punter Ronnie Pfeffer to punt the ball in free agency after Rob Maver retired at the end of last season, and they’ve still obviously got Rene Paredes around to kick field goals. Adding another option certainly won’t hurt, though.
ROUND 8, 70TH OVERALL
Michael Asibuo, Cornerback Concordia
The Stampeders have picked up some real talent in the eighth round over the past couple of seasons. Normally, we don’t know much about them. The same is true of Asibuo, who is 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds and could conceivably develop into a reliable special teams player or a backup for the likes of Royce Metchie.