Oregon linebacker Bo Lokombo is the top prospect ahead of the CFL Draft but Al Dannity doesn’t expect him to go first overall.
It’s not hard to see why Boseko (Bo) Lokombo is the top prospect in this year’s CFL Draft. Playing a big role on an ever improving Ducks’ defence, Lokombo has been the most outstanding draft-eligible player this past season. There are just two problems. As Andrew Bucholtz points out, not only is Lokombo likely to attract some NFL interest but he’s got another year of eligibility with the Ducks. Whatever team drafts him will be taking a big risk as he may never suit up north of the border. This problem isn’t new and it’s a risk that has gone both ways for teams in the past. Shamawd Chambers was attracting NFL interest before posting an impressive rookie season in 2012 with the Eskimos. Chambers fell to sixth overall and proved a steal for an Edmonton team with a limited passing game. Danny Watkins however is a case of what can happen when teams swing and miss. The Lions drafted the Baylor lineman in 2010 only to see him stay on for the following season in college. That campaign led to him being the first Canadian drafted in the NFL first round since 1996. There’s no doubt that someone will take a chance on Lokombo, he’s too good a talent not to pull the trigger on at some point, but whoever does so will almost certainly have to over-pay. With every other team hoping to go low on him, one team will pull the trigger high. Probably too high but not first overall.
That pushes Stefan Charles, a defensive lineman out of Regina, up to the provisional top slot. Charles leads a string of seven CIS players in the list of Top 15 prospects. Unsurprisingly it’s a list dominated by linemen with Linden Gaydosh (DL, Calgary), Matt Sewell (OL, McMaster), and Andy Mulumba (DL, Eastern Michigan) rounding out the top five. The other CIS prospects to make the list are Brett Jones (OL, Regina), Mike Edem (LB, Calgary), and Seydou Junior Haidara. The Laval wide receiver is the only skill position player to make the list and, despite being unranked on the previous set of rankings, stands a chance to climb up the board. With caps on the number of import players allowed on rosters, any skill position player a team can pull out of the Canadian ranks is a massive bonus. That makes Haidara a hot prospect for CFL scouts.
