By Jack Bedell,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Hammond, LA – Grading the CFL Canadian Draft is a wait-and-see proposition at best.
Considering the fact that many of the players chosen in the draft have college eligibility remaining and/or NFL opportunities at hand and that the CFL represents a considerable step up in competition for many of the draftees, there’s just no way to judge the impact of a draft class immediately after the event.
The only “sure thing” at this point is that the real winners and losers of May 2’s CFL draft won’t be ascertained for years.
With each team in the league having its own standards and needs within their respective systems, even the draft experts who contribute to the CFL Scouting Bureau have a difficult time determining what a successful draft entails at this point.
For quick proof of that, just take a quick peek at the Bureau’s top-15 players heading into the draft, and then take a look at how those players scattered all over the board last Saturday.
Picks that seemed like reaches on May 2, will be consensus no-brainers two years from now. And I’m also sure some of the can’t-miss picks will turn out to be draft busts.
As they say, talent is in the eye of the beholder, and you can bet all eight teams in the league believe they caught a boatload of talent in last week’s draft.
So, with all that talent coming off the board, how did the Alouettes do in the draft?
Dylan Steenbergen
With their first pick, the Als snagged one of the top offensive line prospects available this year, Dylan Steenbergen from the University of Calgary. Steenbergen was a consensus top-5 prospect heading into the draft, known for his quick feet and excellent strength. He should provide some serious depth along the offensive line for years to come.
Martin Bédard
With their first pick in the second round, Montreal chose UConn’s Martin Bédard, who played tight end in college. Bédard offers immediate help on special teams as an excellent deep snapper, and might project as a potential fullback down the road.
Matt Singer
The team went back to the O-line for its second pick in round two, pulling Manitoba’s Matt Singer off the board. While draft gurus like TSN’s Duane Forde felt Singer’s selection came a little early in the mix, there’s just no denying the player’s rare combination of size and power. At 6-foot-2, 327 pounds, Singer has the potential to be a fantastic drive blocker.
Nickolas Morin-Soucy, Stan van Sichem, Ivan Brown
The Als’ next three picks all went after speed and high motor for the defensive line. Montreal’s Nikolas Morin-Soucy, Regina’s Stan van Sichem, and Saskatchewan’s Ivan Brown are definitely cut from the same cloth. All three are fast and relentless in pursuit of the ball. And all three would be demons on kick coverage, I’m sure.
Benoît Boulanger, Ryan Mousseau
Rounding out the Als’ picks were a couple of players with great potential – fullback Benoît Boulanger from Sherbrooke (fifth round) and offensive lineman Ryan Mousseau from Ottawa (sixth round).
If you listed the need for an injection of youth on the offensive and defensive lines, the addition of more speed on teams, and a little depth at fullback among the Alouettes’ wishes going into the 2009 CFL Canadian Draft, you’d have to consider these eight picks spot on.
In the end, though, we’ve got a month before rookie camp to debate the relative worth of this draft, and years before we’ll have the bona fide facts to decide. All in all, I’d say I’m excited about the way the 2009 draft went down, and I can’t wait to see how these picks turn out on the field come June.
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