Teams out to hog-tie linemen at draft
CFL: Canadian blockers expected to go early Tuesday, while Riders may end up dealing the No. 1 pick
WINNIPEG — The demise of the Canadian offensive lineman has been greatly exaggerated.
Homegrown hogs continue to be the most valuable commodity in the CFL draft, even though teams are beginning to have more options elsewhere.
Canada is churning out a greater number of talented football players at places on the field usually deemed “skill positions.” And while some teams last season started three imports on the offensive line, Canadian hogs are still viewed as Grade A beef.
That is especially the case this year as there will likely be an early run on offensive linemen in Tuesday’s CFL draft (4 p.m., TSN).
“There’s a case to be made that seven of the eight first-round picks could be offensive linemen,” Argonauts general manager Jim Barker said Monday.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders, coming off a 3-15 season, have the first pick, but are looking to trade it because their next selection isn’t scheduled to occur until the third round. Thanks to a strong crop of players between No. 1 and No. 20 this year, they can afford to drop down and perhaps end up with two good players instead of one.
“We’re still in the process of fielding phone calls from numerous teams in the league,” Riders general manager and head coach Chris Jones told reporters Monday in Regina.
Some around the CFL figured the Canadian offensive lineman population was about to drop as protecting high-priced starting quarterbacks became more important, but the numbers suggest that isn’t the case.
Offensive linemen have represented 37.1 per cent of the first-round choices since 2001, including a whopping six of nine last year. This despite the fact there are more Canadians starting at running back, cornerback and defensive end, which are positions that used to be primarily American.
Barker believes CIS players in the draft are better prepared than their counterparts from the past, which is why they are competing with Americans at the skill positions. “It starts at the grassroots level,” he said.
As a result, expect offensive linemen like Josiah St. John, Charles Vaillancourt, Philippe Gagnon, Michael Couture, Dillon Guy and Jason Lauzon-Seguin to go early.