{"id":618874,"date":"2026-04-21T13:26:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T13:26:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/618874\/"},"modified":"2026-04-21T13:26:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T13:26:16","slug":"who-should-ottawa-pick-first-overall-in-the-2026-cfl-canadian-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/618874\/","title":{"rendered":"Who should Ottawa pick first overall in the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are exactly one week out from the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft.<\/p>\n

And when the Ottawa REDBLACKS are up to make the first overall selection, they\u2019ll be selecting from a talented group with legitimate options on both sides of the ball. With Ottawa looking to bounce back after a 4-14 season, the top pick in this year\u2019s draft could be an important step in getting things back on track.<\/p>\n

Combining our own Marshall Ferguson\u2019s first mock draft with opinions from around the league and an audit of the team\u2019s biggest needs, here are four solid targets for the REDBLACKS when they\u2019re first on the clock next week.<\/p>\n

\"\"CFL CANADIAN DRAFT
\u00bb Where to watch the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a01 ideal pick for each team in the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0View: 2026 CFL Canadian Draft order<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Who would go first overall in a 2022 re-draft?<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Mock Draft 1.0: Who will Ottawa take first overall?<\/a><\/p>\n

DARIUS BELL | OFFENSIVE LINEMAN | EAST CAROLINA
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Offensive lineman Darius Bell developed into a versatile presence across multiple positions during his collegiate career at East Carolina and Maine (ECU Athletics)<\/p>\n

Ottawa looked to the offensive line the last time they drafted first overall when they selected Dontae Bull out of Fresno State in 2023. And while that pick hasn\u2019t worked out exactly as planned, it won\u2019t be a surprise to see the REDBLACKS go a similar route two years later. It\u2019s not just a common position for top CFL picks, it\u2019s also an area of need after Ottawa allowed a little under three sacks a game last season.<\/p>\n

In Darius Bell, the REDBLACKS would be getting a prospect with left tackle experience even if he eventually projects as a guard or centre. Bell was a regular starter at multiple positions over four years at East Carolina and Maine and was ranked 12th in the CFL Scouting Bureau\u2019s winter rankings<\/a>. Finally, Bell is impossible to ignore knowing he was Ferguson\u2019s pick at the top spot in his Mock Draft 1.0 released earlier this month<\/a>.<\/p>\n

DARIEL DJABOME | LINEBACKER | RUTGERS
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Linebacker Dariel Djabome was a tackling machine at Rutgers, starting his final 25 games and producing at a high level in the Big Ten (Rutgers)<\/p>\n

Also impossible to ignore is Dariel Djabome, who Marshall projects as the second selection to Toronto<\/a>. Djabome played in every game over four years at Rutgers, including starting his final 25 games as a junior and senior. With impact Canadian linebackers always in high demand and knowing the REDBLACKS are going through some transition at the position, there\u2019s plenty to suggest Djabome should get a long look at first overall.<\/p>\n

In two years as a starter with the Scarlet Knights, Djabome racked up a staggering 176 defensive tackles to go along with 12 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles as one of the Big Ten\u2019s most productive linebackers. And while Djabome didn\u2019t attend the CFL Combine presented by Anytime Fitness Canada, he definitely turned heads at the Rutgers pro day in March.<\/p>\n

GIORDANO VACCARO | OFFENSIVE LINEMAN | PURDUE
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Giordano Vaccaro brings a blend of U SPORTS dominance and NCAA experience, highlighted by his JP Metras Trophy win as Canada\u2019s top offensive lineman (Levi Blustein\/CFL.ca)<\/p>\n

If Ottawa does decide to use their top pick on an offensive lineman, the other name you keep coming back to is Vaccaro\u2019s. And it makes sense. Not only did Vaccaro appear in 12 games as a senior at Purdue, he was also a U SPORTS standout during three years at the University of Manitoba.<\/p>\n

Prior to joining the NCAA ranks, the Winnipeg product was a two-time First Team All-Canadian and won the JP Metras Trophy in 2024 as the nation\u2019s top offensive lineman. Likely projecting as a guard at the professional level, Vaccaro pounded out 28 reps on the bench press at Purdue\u2019s pro day. It\u2019ll be interesting to see where Vaccaro finishes when the CFL Scouting Bureau releases their final rankings.<\/p>\n

NUER GATKUOTH | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | WAKE FOREST
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Defensive lineman Nuer Gatkuoth emerged as a disruptive edge threat at Wake Forest, showcasing his pass-rushing ability with a breakout 2025 season (Wake Forest)<\/p>\n

If the REDBLACKS are looking for a potential impact pass rusher at No. 1 overall, it feels like Nuer Gatkuoth is the top prospect available. For a team that finished second last with 24 sacks last season and with playing time up for grabs, it wouldn\u2019t be a stretch to see Ottawa target a potential long-term fit off the edge.<\/p>\n

After a couple solid seasons at Wake Forest, Edmonton product Gatkuoth exploded as a redshirt junior in 2025. Last season saw Gatkuoth record 39 defensive tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, and a forced fumble. Gatkuoth finished as one of the ACC\u2019s best pass rushers and turned into a key part of the Demon Deacons\u2019 defence before impressing at his pro day last month.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We are exactly one week out from the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft. And when the Ottawa REDBLACKS are…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":618875,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":["post-618874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canadian-football-league","tag-canadianfootballleague","tag-cfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/618874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=618874"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/618874\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/618875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=618874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=618874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=618874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}