May 5, 2017

CFL Draft: Riders are in wait-and-see mode

The Saskatchewan Roughriders will find out Sunday if practice makes perfect.

Chris Jones — the CFL team’s head coach, general manager and vice-president of football operations — estimated Friday that he and his staff have conducted between 20 and 25 mock drafts in preparation for Sunday’s real thing.

Saskatchewan’s braintrust has looked at myriad options for the No. 2 selection it currently owns, all the while unsure of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ plans for the first pick overall.

The Roughriders could use the selection or they could trade it, having received what Jones said was “a bunch of calls from numerous teams” who are interested in moving up in the draft order.

Of course, whatever the Roughriders already have decided could very easily change between now and the draft. The lottery begins Sunday at 5 p.m.

“We’ve sat down and looked at different scenarios, (such as if) people pick in front of us and pick a guy who we’re not expecting or whatever, which direction we would go,” Jones said during a media conference at Mosaic Stadium. “I feel very prepared in what we’re doing.”

Reports out of Winnipeg on Friday suggested that the Blue Bombers were negotiating with University of Iowa defensive lineman Faith Ekakitie, whom they would select at No. 1.

The Roughriders then would have plenty of options at No. 2, especially if an offensive lineman is at the top of their wish list. They could have the pick of top O-line prospects such as Justin Senior, Geoff Gray, Dariusz Bladek and Mason Woods.

Or Saskatchewan could look at a defensive lineman … or a linebacker … or a defensive back … or …

“We’re looking at a lot of different options,” Jones said.

The Roughriders’ goal is to find help in numerous areas. Jones believes the team’s Canadian depth is better than it was last season, but it’s still not good enough for his liking.

“We looked at last year’s starting roster at a bunch of different positions this morning and I feel like we’re a little bit deeper at some of the positions,” Jones said. “But we’ve still got holes to fill, so we’re going to keep working on it.”

That’s where the draft comes in.

Saskatchewan currently has nine selections in the eight-round draft, with picks No. 2, 11, 30, 32, 37, 46, 55, 57 and 64. The Roughriders forfeited their third-round choice (what would have been 20th overall) when they selected safety/linebacker Kevin Francis in the 2016 supplement draft.

The 30th and 57th picks overall were acquired from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as part of the trade that sent defensive end Justin Capicciotti and offensive tackle Xavier Fulton east last season. The 32nd pick was acquired as part of the deal in which quarterback Darian Durant was traded to the Montreal Alouettes.

Jones likes the idea of banking multiple picks to give his team more chances at landing players who can contribute. When they’ll be able to contribute is another matter.

“Certainly, you’d like to have a guy who’s going to come in and give you immediate help,” Jones said. “I don’t see (in this draft) a lot of immediate help or guys who are going to come in right away and solidify your roster. But I do see great depth in guys who are developmental, who in two or three years down the road can be long-time CFL players.”

Some of the top prospects in the draft are on the NFL’s radar — Senior was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks, while Gray (Green Bay Packers), defensive lineman Eli Ankou (Houston Texans) and linebacker Christophe Mulumba (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) were among those who signed as free agents — and that could affect the Roughriders’ draft plans.

“Certainly, they’re talented guys,” Jones said of the NFL-bound players. “We’ll just have to wait and see who’s available at that time and where they end up dropping to.

“It does actually probably hurt their stock a little bit because people are afraid that they won’t be here during camp. We’ve done our due diligence and called our contacts trying to gauge exactly how interested these NFL teams are in the young men.”

The Roughriders took a couple of flyers in 2016, drafting defensive lineman David Onyemata and defensive back Elie Bouka.

Onyemata was the No. 1 prospect in the CFL Scouting Bureau’s final pre-draft rankings, but he fell to the Roughriders in the fourth round (35th overall) because he had been drafted by the NFL’s New Orleans Saints. Saskatchewan picked Bouka in the third round (24th overall) but he signed as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals.

Three other players whom the Roughriders selected last season — offensive lineman Josiah St. John, punter-kicker Quinn Van Gylswyk and receiver Josh Stanford — remain with the team. Not surprisingly, Jones is hoping for a bumper crop in this draft, whether the players make an impact in 2017 or in the future.

“When I took this job, it was built to try to make sure we had sustainable success, not just a one-year hit,” he said. “We try to make all decisions based off who the best players are and, even if you have to forgo and get them a little bit later, how they’re going to help your roster. That’s what we’ve tried to do.”