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Purdue Athletics Photo<\/p>\n
If offensive lineman Gio Vaccaro is picked first overall at the 2026 CFL Draft, it would be the first time a former Manitoba Bison has ever been selected with the top pick.<\/p>\n
The 6-2, 307-pound guard was a two-time first-team All-Canadian selection and 2024 winner of the J.P. Metras Trophy (awarded to the nation\u2019s top offensive lineman) with the Bisons. Although Vaccaro\u2019s move to the NCAA Power 4 ranks didn\u2019t yield a starting job, he saw time on the Boilermakers\u2019 special teams units and played valuable snaps in the team\u2019s regular-season finale against Indiana \u2014 the eventual national champions.<\/p>\n
While Vaccaro\u2019s size or athleticism won\u2019t blow anyone away, he\u2019s adequate in both areas, and Forde said his skillset, strength and experience make the 22-year-old one of the safest bets in the draft.<\/p>\n
Vaccaro\u2019s in-game reps, in particular, will be a huge feather in his cap as teams differentiate between top prospects. A starter from the moment he joined the Bisons, he started every game from 2022-24, which also speaks to his durability.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing I would say about Gio Vaccaro is he may have the highest floor of the offensive linemen,\u201d said Forde. \u201cHe\u2019s a pretty polished guy: right technique and good feet, and he\u2019s physically strong, as well. He\u2019s not a guy who is going to come into the CFL and, as a young guy, is going to be sort of overmatched physically in his first couple of years. No, he\u2019s the guy who, in terms of his skills and so on, I think translates to a guy who should be ready to play pretty early.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Ottawa Redblacks hold the top pick in the draft, and the St. Paul\u2019s product would make a lot of sense for a team in need of a plug-and-play calibre talent on the interior of the offensive line.<\/p>\n
\u201cScouts rave about his nastiness in the run game and were impressed by how he improved his body composition at Purdue in 2025 to improve his quickness and flexibility,\u201d said 3DownNation draft analyst John Hodge, who recently mocked Vaccaro to the Redblacks with the No. 1 pick.<\/p>\n
\u201cVaccaro projects as a 10-year CFL starter along the offensive line, which makes him hard to pass up at No. 1.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVaccaro projects as a 10-year CFL starter along the offensive line, which makes him hard to pass up at No. 1.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the 10 weeks that followed the Christmas break, leading into the heart of the pre-draft process, Vaccaro lost seven pounds of fat while adding eight pounds of lean muscle, transforming his body composition without sacrificing weight.<\/p>\n
He boosted his stock further at Purdue\u2019s pro day last month, logging 28 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, a 5.38-second forty-yard dash, 4.83-second shuttle, 7.94-second three-cone drill, 29-inch vertical jump and 8-8 broad jump. When the CFL Combine rolled around a few weeks later, Vaccaro \u2014 who did not test \u2014 was interviewed by all nine teams, suggesting he has stirred up an interest across the league.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a journey. I\u2019ve been enjoying each and every step of the process,\u201d Vaccaro said from West Lafayette, Ind., where he plans to wrap up classes before flying home to be with family on draft night. \u201cRight now I\u2019m in a little bit of a waiting game, so we\u2019ll see where that goes.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Vaccaro\u2019s draft card will read \u201cPurdue University,\u201d he acknowledged that his roots are in Manitoba.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing I would say about Gio Vaccaro is he may have the highest floor of the offensive linemen.\u201d<\/p>\n
The last Manitoba Bison selected in the first round was Geoff Gray, who was nabbed by his hometown Winnipeg Blue Bombers with the eighth overall pick in 2017.<\/p>\n
Should Vaccaro come off the board first, it would be the first time a Bison has ever been selected with the top pick, and the highest since Randy Ambrosie was drafted No. 2 overall by the Calgary Stampeders in 1985.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest thing for me is I try not to focus on where I\u2019m going to go in the draft because, truly, I\u2019m grateful for any opportunity,\u201d Vaccaro said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if I go in the first round, second round or seventh round. I try not to get too caught up in mock drafts and stuff like that, but I do give a lot of credit to my Bison career, my three years there. So it would be pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
It can be challenging for anyone to guess where these prospects will land, but as the rumour mill continues to churn down the home stretch, it appears Vaccaro has as much momentum as any prospect in this draft.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n Offensive lineman Gio Vaccaro, who was named the J.P. Metras Award Winner as U Sports Lineman of the Year and first team All-Canadian for the second time back in 2024, credited the Manitoba Bisons for his success.<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t Joshua Frey-Sam Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n \t\t
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