With about a month left in the regular season, we are inching closer to both the post-season and CFL Awards season.

Of course, the playoffs will be the prime focus of the football world, but fans also love a good debate about who should or shouldn’t be nominated and, more importantly, which stars deserve to join the most exclusive club: the All-CFL team.

For this exercise, I’m humbly listing the five wide receivers who I believe must be voted to the All-CFL team. With every team still having three to four games left, there is time for other receivers to make their case, or for my five to put even greater distance between themselves and their peers.

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Fans’ All-CFL ballots will include one player at each position for a total of 10 players per ballot.

KEON HATCHER SR. | BC LIONS

What a bounce-back year for the BC Lions’ leading receiver. It would be hyperbolic to call 2024 a “lost season” for Keon Hatcher Sr., but his torn Achilles sustained in the 2023 playoffs delayed his 2024 debut until Week 9. Considering the severity of the injury, it was remarkable he was able to rejoin his team so soon. Fast forward to 2025, and a fully healthy Hatcher Sr. is not only back to being the player he was in 2023, but has taken another leap, leading the CFL in receiving yards.

The only knock would be that Hatcher Sr. has reached the end zone just five times, but touchdown totals can vary so much that I can’t hold that against him. For each of my five receivers, I’ll highlight one memorable moment from the 2025 season. With over 1,400 yards, there are plenty to choose from, but I’ll go with his 19-yard touchdown in the Lions’ Week 15, 38–27 win over the Ottawa REDBLACKS. For all his speed, this score was about power. Hatcher Sr. broke two tackles before forcing his way into the end zone.

KENNY LAWLER | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

 

Looking back at the 2025 season, it’s hard to find a free agency signing as impactful as Hamilton locking up the two-time Grey Cup champion. No receiver has caught more touchdowns or been part of as many big plays. The Bo Levi Mitchell-to-Kenny Lawler connection is arguably the most exciting play to watch in football this year. If Mitchell wins another MOP Award, I’d bet Lawler’s name will be among the first he mentions in his acceptance speech.

Reviewing my OK Tire Labour Day Weekend notes, I wrote about Mitchell: “Is it bad that I don’t want to give Bo too much credit on the 18-yard touchdown to Kenny Lawler because he was so open on this one?” A receiver’s main job is to make life easier for his quarterback, and Lawler certainly did that day, finishing with nine catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

KEESEAN JOHNSON | SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

 

I debated between KeeSean Johnson and the Lions’ Justin McInnis for this spot. McInnis has the better yards-per-catch average, but I love that Johnson leads all players in second-down conversions, a stat that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. Can you find a better measure of quarterback trust than how often a receiver is targeted on second down?

Johnson has helped the Saskatchewan Roughriders convert 38 second downs, eight more than anyone else in the league. Beyond keeping drives alive, he ranks third in both yardage and receptions, making him invaluable to the first-place Roughriders. While everyone rightfully focused on Trevor Harris when he recorded his 200th career touchdown pass, I prefer to think about Johnson, who did most of the work by taking a short pass and weaving his way 38 yards to the end zone in Week 15 against Montreal.

TYLER SNEAD | MONTREAL ALOUETTES

 

This list isn’t just about picking the five receivers with the most yards. When evaluating the best seasons, I’m also weighing degree of difficulty. Barring injury, Tyler Snead will easily surpass 1,100 yards, despite playing with three different starting quarterbacks. The Alouettes’ QB room has been snake-bit, with Davis Alexander, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, and James Morgan all starting games this year.

Three of Snead’s four 100-yard games have come in victories, and the team clearly values him—Danny Maciocia recently signed him to a two-year extension. The moment I’ll highlight underlines just how turbulent Montreal’s quarterback situation has been. In the Alouettes’ 26–13 Week 12 loss to Winnipeg, the best pass thrown by an Alouette wasn’t from a quarterback at all, it was Snead’s 44-yard strike to Alexander Hollins.

DAMONTE COXIE | TORONTO ARGONAUTS

 

I can already feel the sports-hate. You’re yelling at me right now, and you know what, I’m not even mad. I get it: Damonte Coxie ranks 11th in receiving yards and hasn’t played since suffering a head injury against Edmonton in Week 11. But hear me out.

Coxie’s yards per game (85.4) is higher than anyone not named Keon Hatcher Sr. He’s tied for fourth in yards per catch and, despite missing so much time, is still tied for second in 30+ yard receptions. When healthy, the Argonauts’ receiver is a big play waiting to happen. I just hope he returns safely, because I miss moments like his Week 8 33-yard touchdown against Winnipeg, when he simply blew past Terrell Bonds.