But with all the noise about the offensive side of the ball, we need to give a shoutout to the defenders who are being tested night in and night out by these offensive wizards!<\/p>\n
I\u2019m going to put my focus on my top five standouts we\u2019ve seen so far on the defensive side of the ball in the early part of the season.<\/p>\n
RELATED ADARIUS PICKETT | LINEBACKER\/DEFENSIVE BACK | TORONTO ARGONAUTS<\/p>\n ADARIUS PICKETT COMES UP HUGE \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n The Argos force the turnover and come away with the football!<\/p>\n \ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f: Argos vs. Riders LIVE NOW \u2014 CFL (@CFL) June 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n When you look at the season Adarius Pickett<\/a> has started off with, you have to look at the full stat sheet. Pickett is all over the field with his return to the Toronto Argonauts, again proving he is one of the best playmakers in the CFL on the defensive side of the ball.<\/p>\n He has registered tackles, special teams tackles, tackles for loss, forced fumbles, knockdowns, sacks and fumble recoveries. All that is missing (so far) is an interception and he\u2019ll get his hands on one soon.<\/p>\n JAMES VAUGHTERS | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS<\/p>\n Vaughters comes up strong yet again \ud83d\udca5<\/p>\n Second sack of the night for Jake Vaughters!<\/p>\n \ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f: Ticats vs. Riders LIVE NOW \u2014 CFL (@CFL) July 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n In Saskatchewan, there is another veteran making a move to a new team and showing early signs of making a tremendous impact.<\/p>\n James Vaughters<\/a> came into Saskatchewan to help replace the hole left by Malik Carney<\/a>\u2019s departure to Edmonton. Vaughters is starting to find his way in defensive coordinator Josh Bell\u2019s defence this season, including picking up two sacks against Hamilton last week which helped tie him for the league lead. Vaughters also has two knockdowns, ensuring that his presence is felt even when he can\u2019t get to the quarterback in the backfield.<\/p>\n Vaughters\u2019 play against Hamilton, who has a great offensive line, could signal the beginning of an impressive summer for one of the new faces with the defending Grey Cup champions!<\/p>\n ZY ALEXANDER | DEFENSIVE BACK | CALGARY STAMPEDERS<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n After giving some love to some veterans, how about a rookie?<\/p>\n Zy Alexander arrived in Calgary this season and battled his way into the lineup on defence after starting the year on the practice roster. In three games, he already has three interceptions and will be a hard guy to take off the field if you\u2019re Dave Dickenson in Calgary.<\/p>\n You can challenge the rookie as much as you\u2019d like but it appears that the young defensive back for the Stampeders is ready to meet the challenge, while also feeling out the bumps that can come along with being a rookie. Especially receivers being able to run full speed toward the line of scrimmage in the CFL.<\/p>\n MARQUEL LEE | LINEBACKER | CALGARY STAMPEDERS<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n OK, so a shoutout to a rookie but how good has Marquel Lee<\/a> been in the middle of the Stampeders defence?<\/p>\n He\u2019s well on his way to 100 tackles this season!<\/p>\n Lee had 15 tackles in the first two games last year but a bicep injury pushed him to the sideline for the majority of the season. Now that he\u2019s back, Lee is proving yet again that he\u2019s going to solidify the Stampeders linebacking corps.<\/p>\n The 30-year-old is a pro football veteran after bouncing around the NFL before coming north. Now if the start of the season is any indication, Lee will start to be a household name in Canada before too long.<\/p>\n MUSTAFA JOHNSON | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | MONTREAL ALOUETTES Mustafa Johnson<\/a> has recorded three sacks through Montreal\u2019s first five games of the season (Nicole Osborne\/CFL.ca)<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve read me for any length of time, I\u2019m a big fan of Mustafa Johnson<\/a>. He got some recognition with an East Division All-CFL nod in 2023 but I still think he doesn\u2019t get as much credit for his talent in the middle of the Alouettes defence.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, he was injured last year, only being able to finally get back in the lineup in the 112th Grey Cup game.<\/p>\n However, this season Johnson is fully healthy and has come out of the gate with three sacks over the first five games. I\u2019m waiting for a defensive tackle to win Most Outstanding Defensive Player again, which hasn\u2019t happened in 23 years since Joe Fleming won the award.<\/p>\n Maybe it could be Johnson if he can stay healthy and keep wreaking havoc in the backfield.<\/p>\n HONOURABLE MENTIONS:<\/p>\n Josh Woods<\/a>: The Roughriders linebacker has started the season doing a great job filling A.J. Allen<\/a>\u2019s spot in the linebacking corps. His two interceptions, including last week\u2019s touchdown, are a good sign of that.<\/p>\n Tony Jones<\/a>: Another underrated\/under-appreciated linebacker in the CFL, though he\u2019s very appreciated in Winnipeg from the Bomber fans\u2019 perspective.<\/p>\n
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