7 defenders that need to be named to the All-CFL team

With All-CFL voting now open, the comparisons and contentious debates are flowing like water from a broken dam.

With so many quality defenders, the question becomes: who is a lock and what does it take to become one?

To be assured an All-CFL spot means to be head and shoulders above a large group of already above-average players. I’ve decided to pick two players from each of the three defensive levels (line, backers, secondary) with a special seventh pick being the best of the rest, or players on the outside looking in at their respective positional groups.

Is it perfect? Never, but in a crop of playmakers this deep, there aren’t many better ways to sift through the numbers and the impact without chopping it all apart.

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In a balanced year of sack artists near the top of the league standings, or in a season where interceptions were rampant across a handful of players, you could argue that one positional group deserves the vast majority of ‘top defenders’ love here.

However, all three levels have frustrated opposing offences for much of the second half of the season after the scoring machines and ultra-efficient quarterbacks came back down to earth slightly following an unhinged start to 2025.

MICAH AWE | LINEBACKER | BC LIONS

Micah Awe secures BC’s second INT of the first quarter! 😳#CFLGameday
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— CFL (@CFL) September 20, 2025

If it’s pure production you’re looking for, I believe this is where the list begins and ends. Micah Awe leads the CFL with 110 total tackles entering Week 20, including 107 defensive tackles, good for 13 more than second-place Tony Jones.

In this scheme and with this team, he is absolutely everywhere.

TONY JONES | LINEBACKER | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

Tony Jones with a HUGE INT!#CFLGameDay
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— CFL (@CFL) August 2, 2025

I believe there is a worthwhile discussion to be had here about Adarius Pickett, who has 11 more special teams tackles, one fewer sack, one more knockdown, and a few more fumble recoveries and tackles for loss.

That conversation likely still leads to Tony Jones getting the nod as his ability to get Winnipeg’s fourth-ranked points per game against defence organized, and sitting behind only Awe in total tackles, has him in rare air this season.

MATHIEU BETTS | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | BC LIONS

The CFL’s sacks leader does it again! 👀

Mathieu Betts leads the league with 14 sacks. #CFLGameday
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— CFL (@CFL) October 5, 2025

Mathieu Betts leads the CFL in sacks with 14 and has at least one quarterback takedown in every game since September 13.

In that stretch, he’s also had a four and a three sack game while adding 39 tackles. It’s been a stellar season for one of the game’s best, despite the fact that you know offensive lines are game-planning for him each week.

JULIAN HOWSARE | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

Julian Howsare comes up strong with his third sack of the day!#CFLGameday
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Julian Howsare gets the nod over Montreal’s Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund and Calgary’s Clarence Hicks here – who both are tied with Howsare’s 11 sacks – due to the tackle total for Hamilton’s standout end.

While there is no denying the unregistered impact of both the relevant contenders, Howsare’s ability to take over a single game was on full display in Toronto a few weeks back.

TARVARUS MCFADDEN | DEFENSIVE BACK | TORONTO ARGONAUTS

Tarvarus McFadden reads it perfectly and picks it off!#CFLGameday
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— CFL (@CFL) October 4, 2025

With three interceptions in his last six games and tied for the CFL lead at six total, Tarvarus McFadden has been a positive in many respects for an Argonauts defence that has struggled at times to find their vibe.

Allowing a CFL-worst 31.7 points per game, “T-Time” has punched in each week, willing to attack the football and play an increasingly physical brand of CFL football compared to his early days in Double Blue.

STAVROS KATSANTONIS | DEFENSIVE BACK | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

CLEAN PICK!

Stavros Katsantonis picks it off again and goes for a run!#CFLGameday
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— CFL (@CFL) October 4, 2025

A three interception game against Toronto certainly helps, but at free safety, Stavros Katsantonis gets the Tiger-Cats defence settled and has a knack for always being one of the first defenders to arrive on any play.

His downhill attacking style, and on-field leadership mixed with stat output, all have him set up to get the nod.

TOSS UP

So, Adarius Pickett, Clarence Hicks, Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund and Tevaughn Campbell are all the most logical outside looking in picks, but who would you go with from that group? Is there another name missing that deserves the kind of recognition denoted by All-CFL status? And what are your requirements to earn the crown?

I’ll go unscientific here and nominate Pickett as my seventh choice for the sole fact that he makes so many plays in so many areas of the field you just wouldn’t expect an average or above-average linebacker to be able to. All of this while coming off a major injury in 2024, contributing on special teams and being a REDBLACKS’ locker room leader.