Fisheye view of the bench press event during the 2017 CFL combine in Regina, SK., Friday, March 24, 2017. (Photo: Johany Jutras)
The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ 2017 draft class is a diverse group.
The Roughriders selected four offensive linemen, two linebackers, two receivers and a defensive lineman with their nine picks in Sunday’s CFL draft.
Two of the players have dual citizenship, two didn’t play in 2016, one already has been signed by an NFL team, and one is a hometown kid. Some will contribute right away, while others are long-term prospects.
Here’s a quick look at each player, with comments from Roughriders assistant vice-president of football operations and administration Jeremy O’Day.
First round (second overall): LB Cameron Judge, UCLA — 6-foot-2, 235 pounds … Born Nov. 29, 1994 in Montreal … Raised in Thousand Oaks, Calif. … Played 47 games over four seasons with the Bruins … Lined up at middle linebacker and outside linebacker during his college career … Also was a special-teams stalwart … Is attending rookie camp with the NFL’s Houston Texans … O’Day: “He obviously was our top-ranked player in the whole draft. We had him ranked as one of the most athletic linebackers in the past four years of the draft. He’s going to provide some depth and allow us the opportunity to change the ratio if we want. He’s obviously going to be a big special-teams guy as well.”
Second round (11th overall): OL Dariusz Bladek, Bethune-Cookman — 6-foot-4, 300 pounds … Born April 1, 1994. Hometown is Kissimmee, Fla. … Considered a national because his mother was born in Canada … Passed on final college season to enter the 2016 NFL draft, but wasn’t selected … Worked out for the Baltimore Ravens, but wasn’t signed … Didn’t play in 2016 … O’Day: “He was our top-ranked guard in the draft. He probably slipped down because he didn’t have a great combine, but we went back and the (game) tape was very good. He played against some high-calibre opponents and played well.”
Fourth round (30th overall): TE Antony Auclair, Laval — 6-foot-6, 254 pounds … Born May 28, 1993 in Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Que. … Had 17 receptions for 229 yards and two TDs for the Rouge et Or last season … Isn’t expected in Saskatchewan anytime soon after signing as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the NFL draft, but the Roughriders felt the reward outweighed the risk of a fourth-round pick … O’Day: “He has the ability to play tight end and fullback, so he’s a multi-purpose guy. We also had him as one of the top special-teams players in the draft. There’s a lot of value if we ever get him back.”
Fourth round (32nd overall): OL Eddie Meredith, Western — 6-foot-6, 311 pounds … Born Jan. 2, 1993 in Toronto … Attended Boston College before transferring to Western in 2013 … Named an OUA all-star in each of his three seasons with the Mustangs … Twice was selected a U Sports All-Canadian … Didn’t play in 2016, but the Roughriders — who worked him out in Regina prior to the draft — believe he’s ready to return … O’Day: “We knew we were going to draft him when he left (after the workout); we just didn’t know how long we should wait. One would say we might have been able to wait all the way to the end, but once we saw what we saw (in the testing), we didn’t want to wait that long.”
Fifth round (37th overall): SB Mitchell Picton, Regina — 6-foot-1, 197 pounds … Born May 29, 1995 in Regina … Led Canada West with 58 receptions (a school record), 834 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in 2016 … Was named a Canada West all-star and a U Sports All-Canadian last season … O’Day: “He was very highly ranked on our board. He’s another guy who might have dropped down after the combine. But again, it was the tape that we liked and the fact he was very, very productive in university and was one of the top receivers in the country. Besides all that, he’s also a local kid and that helps, too.”
Sixth round (46th overall): OL Danny Sprukulis, Toronto — 6-foot-4, 325 pounds … Born May 22, 1995 in Oakville, Ont. … Started 32 games over four seasons with the Varsity Blues … Named to the OUA all-rookie team in 2013 … Had a two-yard touchdown catch during the 2014 season … Played right tackle, but could be moved to guard by Saskatchewan … O’Day: “Physically, his measurables and his testing all point in the direction of being a pro. He’s also a very smart kid. His bench press was what a pro offensive lineman should have, the look of him was what a pro should have, and the tape was good.”
Seventh round (55th overall): LB Alexandre Chevrier, Sherbrooke — 6-foot-0, 217 pounds … Born Dec. 26, 1992 in Pointe-Claire, Que. … Had 24 solo tackles, 19 assists, two tackles for losses, one forced fumble and one interception for the Vert et Or in 2016 … Athleticism at East regional combine earned him a spot at the national combine, where he was the fastest linebacker in the 40-yard dash (4.65 seconds) … O’Day: “Our special-teams coach had him ranked as one of the top special-teams guys in the draft. As he started to come down the board, it got to the point where we wanted to take him because he was very high on our special-teams board.”
Seventh round (57th overall): DT Emmanuel Adusei, Carleton — 6-foot-2, 357 pounds … Born Nov. 10, 1995 in London, Ont. … Had 15 solo tackles, 15 assists and one sack for the Ravens in 2016 … Named a second-team OUA all-star last season … O’Day: “He took reps at both D-tackle and guard at the regional combine that Coach (Chris) Jones was at. He has value to possibly be a positional change guy who we can move to guard if he doesn’t do well at D-tackle or if we see him as a better fit at guard.”
Eighth round (64th overall): OL Marc Glaude, Montreal — 6-foot-2, 310 pounds … Born June 15, 1992 in Beaconsfield, Que. … Was an RSEQ all-star at both guard and tackle for the Carabins in his career … Missed most of the 2016 season after suffering an ankle injury that has been surgically repaired … O’Day: “When we watched the tape (of the 2016 East West Bowl), we watched him against some of the higher-ranked defensive tackles and he more than held his own. He’s an inside player, a guard or even a centre, where hopefully he’ll get a look. He was a higher-ranked guy who slipped down because of the injury.”
