![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776939560_116_CFL-Draft-Stacked-Wordmark.png\")
CFL CANADIAN DRAFT\u00bb\u00a0CFL reveals 2026 CFL Draft and 2026 Global Draft order<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Mock Draft 1.0: Who will Ottawa take first overall?<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Who should Ottawa pick first overall in the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft?<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Subscribe to the CFL\u2019s official YouTube channel<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Subscribe to the CFL\u2019s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
BC LIONS<\/p>\n
WR, OL, DL<\/p>\n
The BC Lions enter the CFL Canadian Draft in decent shape across the board, but when I look at the roster, I also consider the age of the players. Three of their four receivers are nearing 30, and when looking at the average age where receivers hit a wall, 32 tends to be the most consistent number. The Lions have to start building options behind Justin McInnis<\/a>, Jevon Cottoy<\/a> and Hergy Mayala<\/a>.<\/p>\n As for the offensive line and defensive line, the Lions have a solid group of starters on both sides, but a youthful boost with an eye on the future has to be a priority in the trenches.<\/p>\n Mathieu Betts<\/a> and Christian Covington<\/a> are in their prime, but the Lions are getting a little thin when it comes to the depth around them.<\/p>\n EDMONTON ELKS<\/p>\n OL, LB, DB<\/p>\n If you want to improve your team, you should\u00a0improve the offensive line and give Cody Fajardo<\/a> more time to find receivers. The Elks need improvement up front, and veterans should be challenged. Ed Hervey and Mark Kilam would likely welcome having to make tough decisions at such an important position.<\/p>\n When it comes to the other two positions, this is where special teams come into play. Linebackers and defensive backs are where young players can really cut their teeth and prepare for bigger roles.<\/p>\n The Elks simply don\u2019t have enough Canadian depth at these positions. They could benefit from drafting tough, physical players willing to commit to tracking down the league\u2019s top returners.<\/p>\n CALGARY STAMPEDERS<\/p>\n Best Available<\/p>\n When you see this, it can mean one of two things. Either the team has a lot of needs and doesn\u2019t have to focus on one position, or it reflects a roster that is already in a strong position heading into the draft.<\/p>\n For the Calgary Stampeders, I\u2019m not in panic mode. They could add at receiver or linebacker, sure, but they are set for what they need for the ratio.<\/p>\n Dave Dickenson and company can truly build their board knowing they\u2019re comfortable taking the best available player heading into the 2026 season. You can likely pencil in their 25 to 30 Canadians right now.<\/p>\n The biggest loss is 2025\u2019s\u00a0first overall pick Damien Alford to the NFL, but that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re desperate to find a starting-calibre receiver in this draft.<\/p>\n SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS<\/p>\n WR, LB, OL<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Roughriders\u2019 ratio is a bit unconventional with three to four American offensive linemen, which puts pressure on other position groups.<\/p>\n Receiver is one of those positions, and with Tommy Nield<\/a> now in Winnipeg and Mitch Picton potentially stepping away from football, according to a report by 3DNation<\/a>, the Riders suddenly need depth.<\/p>\n They do have Samuel Emilus<\/a>, Kian Schaffer-Baker<\/a> and Dhel Duncan-Busby, but there are young unknowns behind them.<\/p>\n The Riders also lost A.J. Allen<\/a> to the REDBLACKS, and while they may not need a starting Canadian linebacker to make the ratio work, they do need to maintain the talent level on one of the top special teams units in the league.<\/p>\n As for the offensive line, the Riders have Logan Ferland<\/a> but no one else who has proven they can be a consistent starter in the CFL. They may go with three or more Americans, but adding Canadians to the line could pay off elsewhere.<\/p>\n WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS<\/p>\n DL, DB, OL<\/p>\n Former defensive lineman Jake Thomas has joined Winnipeg\u2019s coaching staff for 2026 (Paul Swanson\/CFL.ca)<\/p>\n With Jake Thomas moving into the coaching staff<\/a>, the Blue Bombers need a refresh along the defensive line.<\/p>\n They only have three defensive linemen and defensive backs under contract for 2026, and while there are contributors in that group, none have fully established themselves as every-down starters.<\/p>\n Winnipeg needs to build depth to ensure they\u2019re covered moving forward as they look to maintain their contender status.<\/p>\n That includes the offensive line. They\u2019ve lost Drew Desjarlais, Michael Couture, Geoff Gray, Liam Dobson<\/a> and Chris Kolankowski<\/a> in consecutive seasons. The Blue Bombers are working to restock the shelves, knowing Patrick Neufeld can\u2019t play forever, even if he might try.<\/p>\n HAMILTON TIGER-CATS<\/p>\n LB \u2013 Next available<\/p>\n The Tiger-Cats, like Calgary, hit a home run in the 2025 draft with Devin Veresuk<\/a> second overall.<\/p>\n But, like Alford, the NFL came calling<\/a>. Hamilton likely won\u2019t find another Veresuk at fifth overall, but linebacker is the one position where depth appears limited.<\/p>\n All other areas look well set up for Scott Milanovich as the team pushes to get over the hump and into Grey Cup contention.<\/p>\n TORONTO ARGONAUTS<\/p>\n DL, DB, WR<\/p>\n The Toronto Argonauts are looking to retool their roster as they welcome a new era under head coach Mike Miller (Kevin Sousa\/CFL.ca)<\/p>\n The Blue Bombers have six combined National defensive linemen and defensive backs on the roster. The Argonauts have five.<\/p>\n No CFL team truly enters a rebuild, but with a new head coach<\/a> and key departures over the years, Toronto needs to restock the shelves across the board, especially along the defensive line, where depth has been depleted.<\/p>\n At receiver, it\u2019s a similar story. The position has been picked apart by opposing general managers. Kevin Mital<\/a> and David Ungerer are in place, but there are plenty of question marks behind them.<\/p>\n The Argonauts may need to take a best-available approach, though not by choice, except on the offensive line. Dakoda Shepley<\/a>\u2019s addition, along with other top Canadians, provides a strong foundation up front, especially with an All-CFL calibre quarterback in Chad Kelly<\/a> working his way back to full health.<\/p>\n OTTAWA REDBLACKS<\/p>\n DL, OL, WR<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t matter how many players the REDBLACKS have under contract in the trenches, they need to improve. They need to find future All-CFL calibre players, and that often happens on draft day.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jake_Thomas_2026_001.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Mike_Miller_2025_003.jpg\")
<\/p>\n