EDMONTON — The Canadian Football League’s movers and shakers have now gathered to study every single move of some of the top 2026 draft prospects like a team of forensic scientists and, undoubtedly, also slap backs and trade tales with their rivals across the loop.

The CFL’s Combine officially begins Thursday in the Alberta capital with some prospect interviews, followed by on-field testing beginning Friday before three practice sessions spread out over the weekend.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers GM Kyle Walters and head coach Mike O’Shea are here and, during a break from league meetings on Wednesday, were made available to the media. During their 20-minute or so session the pair touched on a variety of subjects and here’s what stood out from this perch:

THE 2026 CFL DRAFT | THOUGHTS

Winnipeg holds the fourth overall selection and has three selections in the top 24 — also including picks 13, 20 (the latter a bonus selection for being one of two teams, along with Edmonton, for having the highest percentage of national snaps in 2025).

The Blue Bombers still have their picks in each round, so their selection total includes 4, 13, 20, 24, 33, 42, 51, 60 and 69.

Here’s Walters on the overall strength of the 2026 class:

“The high-end talent is really, really, really good, which is fantastic for the Canadian football scene that you’re seeing these players in the draft. It’s great overall, from top to bottom, the talent is the best in quite a while.

“The problem is it might be too good in the sense that it’s NFL good, so that makes it a big challenge. It’s great that you’re seeing these Canadian players have so much success at a high level, but it does certainly add a stressful element to the draft process and an unknown to the draft process.”

The draft is said to be especially loaded with high-end talent along the offensive line, including Purdue University centre Gio Vaccaro — who transferred from University of Manitoba for last season — and some believe he could actually be the first name off the board next month.

To that end, Walters was asked if the depth along the offensive line might impact the club’s ratio plans, especially after he hinted last month the roster could feature three Americans up front.

“After free agency… ratio flexibility is what we were aiming for — so you can come to training camp without having to say. ‘Here’s exactly where we’re pencilled in.’ If we wanted to go with three American offensive linemen, we have that option the way we’re built. With the receivers we can go three Canadians. We’re open to having a really interesting training camp to figure out when it all shakes down what is the best team to put on the field and where the ratio is.”

WHAT THE COMBINE REVEALS

The testing numbers are a barometer, just as the game film is. And the one-on-one interviews often offer insight to a player’s personality and character.

Walters said the team has done all its film work in preparation for the draft and what happens over the next few days will impact what the team’s final pre-draft board will look like.

“There are some baseline (testing) numbers that need to be hit in order for them to compete,” said O’Shea. “And for someone who is on that average baseline, then you add in all the other things you’ve seen on film — the intangibles like their compete level — those things will then move the athlete closer to getting drafted or further away. You’d like to say it’s unfortunate, but absolutely it’s the reality — there are some numbers that have to be hit just to allow them to step on the field with these pros.”

We asked O’Shea if there was something beyond the drills and practices that he might be watching for when the prospects are auditioning.

“It’s one of those things where you know it if you see it,” he said. “I pay attention to guys how they are on the line. Like, little things that you notice, or that I notice, just stick with me. You want an example? Everybody has a process they do before a drill. They stand up, they’re in line, then they turn to the camera, or whatever. And if the guy seventh in line doesn’t turn to the camera, I notice that. I’m like ‘Well, he’s just not paying attention.’ Or he’s really nervous and you give him the benefit of the doubt, and you try to dig a little deeper on that kind of stuff. All those little interactions, I happen to notice.”

THE EVER-EVOLVING QB PICTURE

The Blue Bombers have Zach Collaros under contract, as well as Terry Wilson returning from last season. Chase Artopoeus has stepped away from the game and veteran Chris Streveler is a free agent coming off a knee injury but also hinting at retirement through his social media channels.

Here’s O’Shea when asked if Wilson has the inside track on UFL vet Bryce Perkins and former Auburn/Michigan State starter Payton Thorne, both of whom are under contract:

“There’s always competition but absolutely he’s going to have a leg up just because he understands or has a greater perspective of the CFL game — defences, structures, defensive structures, how we run an offence up in the CFL, the motions — all those things. It’s natural that he’s going to be slightly ahead or quite far ahead on the situation just because of his time with us.

“But there’s always competition. It’s pro sports.”

Walters was asked about bringing in a veteran with CFL experience — McLeod Bethel-Thompson’s name did come up in the question — but said they have a list if need be, while also waiting on Taylor Elgersma, the 2025 second-round draft pick who is currently with the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL.

“I talked to Fred (Weinrauch, Elgersma’s Canadian agent) last night and I think they’re still trying to work through the work permit thing down there and I’m not sure how that’s all going to shake down. Still kind of an unknown.

“… Each time we talk about it there’s a lot of uncertainty, and I still think there’s uncertainty but the clock is ticking, you’re right. Each one of these conversations, it seems it’s getting less and less likely. But as I said, we’ve still got a few weeks to sort it out.”

One more on the topic from O’Shea on the team’s current QB room:

“I don’t think we had a great year as a team last year. Quarterback stats, if you look at it in a vacuum, you’d come up with your own answers. But I think we can be better as an entire team.

“And in terms of our quarterback room, generally speaking, I’m always excited. Even new guys and young guys, all these quarterbacks that we’re watching now that everybody talks about being the greatest started off at some point. So, who’s the next one? I don’t know if we’re in a rush to find that out. Zach’s a stud. That guy is amazing, he’s a terrific leader, and everybody, not just Zach, but everybody on the team wants to be better and have a better outcome this season.”

FYI

-Walters on the circumstances surrounding Zach Collaros agreeing to a $50,000 pay cut this offseason:

Dunk: How did the team and Zach Collaros decide on him taking a $50,000 pay reduction?

“Well, I just asked Zach if that was something he would be interested in and he said, ‘If that helps the team, for sure.’ That was about the extent of it.

“… We laid out the plan to Zach and said, ‘This is kind of what we’re thinking; this would help.’ He said, ‘Yeah, whatever I can do to help, I’m on board.’”

REFLECTIONS

Both O’Shea and Walters have been around the CFL long enough to have seen the various incarnations of the league’s combine — so much so that they were there in the beginnings when the event, then called the CFL Evaluation Camp, was held at the Golf Dome in Winnipeg.

O’Shea attended it as a draft prospect in 1993, Walters three years later in 1996.

It’s a story we touched on when the Combine was in Winnipeg in 2024 — that story can be found here — and the pair touched on it again Wednesday in their availability.

“I remember it as being a great time. You got to meet a bunch of different people,”O’Shea recalled. “You were competing, there was nerves, but everybody was in the same boat. So, I don’t think that’s changed. the guys that are going to show up here are going to go through all those same things. They’re going to find it a totally exhilarating tremendous opportunity to meet guys they’ve played against or that they’ve watched, compete at a high level and try and show their best. And they’re going to leave with a great experience.

“They’re going to get fed better. When they do a vertical test they’re not going to have to put chalk on their finger and swipe at an I-beam. So, that’s all a little different.

“The vibe and the feeling is all going to be the same. How they leave here… they’re going to leave here with, I believe, a great memory; something that they’re going to look back on as just a tremendous experience.”

Added Walters:

“We showed up, got a hamburger on your way in. You ran around a little bit and that was it. The players are so much better prepared. I had never run a 40 before, so I lined up in a two-point stance and they said, ‘You’ve got to put a three-point stance’ so I just put a hand down. I had no idea what I was doing. So, these players are much, much better prepared for all the testing than we were and you’re seeing in the results — they’re impressive with these athletes.”

Mike: “Nowadays with the flights and everything, it’s different. I’m sure all these guys get flown out right after. But 48 out of the 50 of us went out to the Pal that night when it was over. So, it was pretty good time.

“They are missing out on that.”