Lions go big on linemen at the draft
B.C. lands impact offensive lineman and defensive lineman in first round
Peter Godber once had Geroy (Superman) Simon sign his shirt. He’ll get the chance to return the favour, by signing on the dotted line with the B.C. Lions.
The Leos picked the Rice University guard and Toronto native third overall in Thursday’s CFL draft, which saw a record seven offensive linemen selected in the first round.
The 6-4, 300-pound Godber, who grew up a huge Argonauts fan, saw Simon signing autographs at the Grey Cup one year, never imagining for a moment he’d be spending hours FaceTiming the Lions’ draft co-ordinator and director of Canadian scouting years later.
“I still have the shirt in my closet,” said Godber, who started in 12 regular-season games at guard with the Rice University Owls last season.
“It’s kind of a surreal moment for me, to get a call from him (and Lions GM Ed Hervey) and to say they really liked me.
“They made that clear before the draft. They made it clear that if I was there, they were going to take me, and they did. I’m really excited. They have great coaches there, and a great staff.”
Godber was high on several early lists, but when he decided not to test at the CFL combine, pulling out because of some injury concerns, his stock took a hit. It bounced back up at his pro day with Rice, where he showed strength (benching 225 pounds 36 times) and speed (a 5.36-second 40-yard dash).
He didn’t want to talk about the combine during a conference call after Thursday’s draft, but when reached later, he said he wasn’t worried about it.
“I believe in myself. I definitely know what I bring to the table as an offensive lineman. I think it shows in my film, as well as my numbers on pro day.”
It certainly didn’t dissuade Hervey from picking Godber, the second offensive lineman taken in the draft, behind UConn’s Trey Rutherford, who went second to the Montreal Alouettes.
“The way I look at it is the reason the player was there, is based on the film we witnessed. That’s what we go on. That’s the resume,” said Hervey.
With their second first-round pick — acquired in a trade with Winnipeg — the Lions shored up their defensive line by taking 6-3, 295-pound Georgia State defensive tackle Julien Laurent.
The Toronto native was the draft’s top-ranked defensive lineman, and he fell right into Hervey ’s lap after the three preceding teams took offensive linemen.
“It went exactly as we’d hoped. Obviously, that’s somewhat cliche when we say that,” said Hervey. “With Julien, we felt we needed to add depth to the interior defensive line. Julien was just too good of a player to pass up.”
With the Toronto native anchoring the defensive line, Georgia State set a school record for fewest points (24.75), rushing yards per game (136.4) and sacks (24). Laurent had 24 tackles, including tying for the team lead with 6.5 tackles for a loss.
“B.C. traded up to get two picks in the first round, and I’m happy that they did. I’m happy, man. I’m happy to be alive,” said Laurent.
With their impact players secured, B.C. took a shot with their second-round pick, taking Western’s David Mackie at No. 16. The best blocking running back in the draft is also a long-snapper.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats took Central Michigan receiver Mark Chapman first overall, while the Montreal Alouettes elected to take offensive lineman Trey Rutherford of the University of Connecticut with the No. 2 pick.