REDBLACKS PUT MORE ON THE O LINE AT CFL DRAFT
Ottawa takes University of Saskatchewan standout, but sleeper pick may be local boy
Once again in Round 1 of the CFL draft, the Ottawa Redblacks went big, choosing an offensive lineman with their first pick. In years to come, it might be the team’s third-round selection that Redblacks fans remember, though.
After selecting six-foot-three, 297-pound offensive lineman Evan Johnson of the University of Saskatchewan with their first-round pick (ninth overall) on Sunday night, the Redblacks looked to hit one out of the park with their third-round choice, selecting 330-pound defensive lineman Eli Ankou, who happens to be from Ottawa. He would have gone first or second in the CFL draft if not for the fact he has signed with the NFL’s Houston Texans. Ankou started 19 games during his final two seasons at UCLA with 91 tackles.
Sure, it’s a gamble, but one worth taking at that point in the draft.
“For me, Plan A is the NFL, for sure,” said Ankou, who leaves for the Texans camp on Wednesday. “But if all else fails, I still have that door open to be in Ottawa. I got a call from one of their scouts this morning to say they may pick me, but this was a nice surprise for me.
“I feel football’s one of those unpredictable sports. So I’ll play it by ear. I’m 100 per cent into the NFL, but if the opportunity presents itself, I’m there in Ottawa. It’s flattering to be drafted. It’s good to see Canadian teams having interest in me despite everything going on.”
“He’s an Ottawa guy that we like a lot and that’s played at a high level,” Ottawa general manager Marcel Desjardins said. “If he gets to Ottawa, he’s a guy we can see making a contribution to the Redblacks.”
It’s been a great ride for Ankou, who played locally for St. Peter High School and the Ottawa Sooners.
“It’s just effort and time — that’s all you really need on your side, and the rest will take care of itself,” Ankou said.
The Redblacks took a similar gamble last year, selecting Mehdi Abdesmad, who’s on the Tennessee Titans roster, in the third round.
After dealing for all-star centre Jon Gott in 2014, then selecting Alex Mateas and Jason LauzonSeguin the past two years, the Redblacks once again looked to the offensive line with their first pick.
Said Desjardins: “(Johnson is) an outstanding offensive lineman, offensive tackle, with a great skill set, athleticism, feet, strength. He’s still young — his ceiling is extremely high and that’s why we felt he was the best choice for us. We took who we felt was the best offensive lineman still there.”
While many had projected the Redblacks would go with a defensive lineman with their first pick, Desjardins said the offensive line was the target.
“There were more offensive linemen remaining when we chose than would have been anticipated,” he said. “But for us, had there been a defensive lineman there that we felt could still contribute right away, we still probably would have gone offensive line.
“Part of the equation for us is to look ahead for next year because we need to maintain that core of offensive linemen. But at the end of the day, we took who we felt was the guy who was going to help us not necessarily in the short term — we don’t have that need in the short term — but more in the long term.”
An engineering student, the 22-year-old Johnson said: “I’ve always known that I’ve been talented athletically, able to move well and compete. I think I’m ready to step into a pro team and contribute.”
Johnson has more classes left to complete to graduate, and said: “I’ll focus on football and figure the schooling out on the side from here on in, I guess.”
With their second-round selection, the Redblacks chose 250-pound Sherbrooke fullback Anthony Gosselin. In the fourth round, Ottawa snagged running back Louis-Philippe Bourassa, while in the fifth they got defensive lineman Mathieu Dupuis (Montreal).
In Round 6, the Redblacks took WR Austen Hartley, in Round 7 they got running back Ed Ilnicki (Alberta) and in Round 8, with the final pick of the draft, they picked offensive lineman Jordan Filippelli (Calgary).