Lions select slotback, lineman in 1st round

TORONTO (CP) — Faith Ekakitie wants to live up to the expectations of a first overall pick.

Winnipeg selected the 6-foot-2, 304-pound Iowa defensive lineman No. 1 in the CFL draft Sunday. The move wasn’t a surprise as the 24-year-old Brampton, Ont., native had agreed to terms with the Blue Bombers before being taken.

“Being the first overall pick is a great honour,” Ekakitie said during a CFL conference call. “It does add a little bit of pressure because I don’t want to let any of my family or close friends down, and most of all I don’t want to let myself down.

“My goal is to come in and be the best player I can. Hopefully that’s being an all-star in the league and if not, then I just have to continue following God’s plan for my life.”

A total of 71 players were selected over eight rounds.

Ekakitie surged atop the draft board after four top prospects garnered NFL interest last weekend. Mississippi State offensive lineman Justin Senior of Montreal was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks before UCLA defensive lineman Eli Ankou of Ottawa, Manitoba offensive lineman Geoff Gray of Winnipeg and Laval tight end Antony Auclair of Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Que., signed as free agents with Houston, Green Bay and Tampa Bay, respectively.

Winnipeg took Gray eighth overall, while Ankou went in the third round to the Ottawa Redblacks. Auclair went in the fourth round to Saskatchewan and Edmonton selected Senior in the fifth.

Senior, Ankou and Gray claimed the top three spots in the CFL Scouting Bureau’s final top-20 prospects list for the draft while Auclair was seventh. Ekakitie finished fifth.

Saskatchewan took UCLA linebacker Cameron Judge at No. 2. But the Riders will have to wait to sign the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Judge, who will attend the Houston Texans’ rookie camp next weekend.

At third overall, B.C. took McMaster slotback Danny Vandervoort, who addresses a need with the recent retirement of veteran Shawn Gore. The 6-foot-2, 204-pound Vandervoort, of Barrie, Ont., was surprised to be taken so early but not by the Lions. B.C. made its second first-round selection at No. 7 and took Montreal defensive lineman Junior Luke to help offset the loss of Jabar Westerman.