A LOOK BACK AT THE 2026 CFL / LCF DRAFT

Jett Elad (no 9) of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights was drafted in the 15th position (2nd round) by the BC Lions. (Photo: Ruch Graessle / Icon Sportswire).

From coast to coast, the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft class showcased the depth of the national talent pool, with a strong Quebec presence and an NCAA pipeline that continues to dominate the top selections.

At the top of the draft, the Ottawa Redblacks took the logical route. Holding the first overall pick after finishing with the league’s worst record in 2025, they selected Purdue offensive lineman Giordano Vaccaro to anchor a unit that had long needed stability. At 6-foot-2 and 306 pounds, the Winnipeg native profiles as an immediate starter and confirmed the consensus projections of recent days.

First Round: Offensive line sets the tone, NCAA pipeline holds strong

The Toronto Argonauts followed at No. 2 with another offensive lineman, selecting Niklas Henning (Queen’s), this time from the U SPORTS ranks. Still relatively new to the position, Henning projects more as a medium-term investment than an immediate starter in 2026.

At No. 3, Edmonton selected Rutgers linebacker Dariel Djabome. The Longueuil native brings a solid Big Ten résumé and gives the Elks a national linebacker capable of competing for playing time early.

Winnipeg responded to the loss of Vaccaro by selecting Wake Forest defensive lineman Nuer Gatkuoth at No. 4. Originally from Edmonton, Gatkuoth fits the physical, trench-oriented identity favored by the Blue Bombers.

Hamilton returned to the offensive line at No. 5 with Jonathan Denis (Louisiana Tech), while Calgary made the first surprise of the draft by selecting linebacker Eric Rascoe (Angelo State) at No. 6.

At No. 7, the BC Lions added depth at receiver with Nate DeMontagnac (University of North Dakota), a 6-foot-3 target with a strong combination of size and speed.

Montreal then selected Rohan Jones (Arkansas), a tight end from the city, before Saskatchewan closed out the first round with Michigan State defensive back Malcolm Bell, another Quebec product with an intriguing profile.

Second Round: Value, trades, and Quebec presence

Winnipeg opened the second round with Dante Daniels (NC State), a 6-foot-5, 272-pound tight end whose hybrid profile could provide offensive versatility.

Toronto added running back Isaiah Smith (Guelph), a powerful 230-pound ball carrier, while Edmonton followed with UBC defensive back Benjamin Sangmuah, a logical local selection.

Back on the clock at No. 13, Ottawa selected fullback Émeric Boutin (Laval), a native of L’Assomption who brings value in short-yardage situations and on special teams.

Hamilton continued with receiver Malick Meiga (Coastal Carolina), while BC made a strong move by selecting Rutgers defensive back Jett Elad at No. 15.

Toronto followed with Ethan John (Windsor), Montreal selected Shakespeare Louis (Southeastern Louisiana), and Saskatchewan wrapped up the standard portion of the round with receiver Dylan Djete (Alabama State).

The compensatory selections closed out the round, with Edmonton selecting Wesley Bailey (Louisville) and Winnipeg adding Boston College offensive lineman Kevin Cline, a 6-foot-7, 320-pound presence up front.

BC Focus: A clear strategy

The Lions structured their draft around two clear priorities: adding targets for Nathan Rourke, increasing size at receiver, and reinforcing depth in the secondary.

With Nate DeMontagnac, Vancouver adds a receiver capable of stretching the field. The addition of Jett Elad strengthens the secondary with a versatile defensive profile.

Later on, BC continued that approach by selecting Pierre Kemeni (Ohio) in the fourth round and receiver Nick Cenacle (Hawaii) in the fifth, reinforcing key positions tied to managing the Canadian ratio.

Six players will test their chances south of the border

Several players selected in this draft will first attempt to establish themselves in the NFL following the American draft, before potentially joining their CFL teams.

For CFL organizations, this is a familiar calculation: investing in high-upside national talent while accepting a delay before their arrival. If the opportunity in the United States does not materialize, those players can return to Canada with their rights already held by their respective teams.

For the six teams involved — Alouettes, Tiger-Cats, Elks, Blue Bombers, Redblacks, and Roughriders, the approach remains the same: invest in promising talent with the understanding that it may take a season or more before they contribute. In the long term, this type of strategy can pay off if the player returns with additional experience gained at the professional level in the U.S.

2026 CFL / LCF Draft — Pick-by-Pick Recap

Round 1 — The Top of the Board

#	Team	Player	Pos	School	Notes
1	Ottawa	Giordano Vaccaro	OL	Purdue	First overall
2	Toronto	Niklas Henning	OL	Queen's	U SPORTS
3	Edmonton	Dariel Djabome	LB	Rutgers	—
4	Winnipeg	Nuer Gatkuoth	DL	Wake Forest	—
5	Hamilton	Jonathan Denis	DL	Louisiana Tech	—
6	Calgary	Eric Rascoe	LB	Angelo State	—
7	BC	Nate DeMontagnac	WR	North Dakota	—
8	Montreal	Rohan Jones	TE	Arkansas	Signed with LA Rams
9	Saskatchewan	Malcolm Bell	DB	Michigan State	—

Round 2 — Trades and Compensatory Picks

#	Team	Player	Pos	School	Notes
10	Winnipeg	Dante Daniels	TE	NC State	via Ottawa
11	Toronto	Isaiah Smith	RB	Guelph	U SPORTS
12	Edmonton	Benjamin Sangmuah	DB	UBC	U SPORTS
13	Ottawa	Émeric Boutin	FB	Laval	via Winnipeg
14	Hamilton	Malick Meiga	WR	Coastal Carolina	Signed with Carolina Panthers
15	BC	Jett Elad	DB	Rutgers	via Calgary
16	Toronto	Ethan John	DB	Windsor	via BC
17	Montreal	Shakespeare Louis	DB	Southeastern Louisiana	—
18	Saskatchewan	Dylan Djete	WR	Alabama State	—
19	Edmonton	Wesley Bailey	DL	Louisville	National Snaps Reward — Signed with LA Rams
20	Winnipeg	Kevin Cline	OL	Boston College	National Snaps Reward — Signed with Miami Dolphins

Round 3 — U SPORTS Wave Begins

#	Team	Player	Pos	School
21	Edmonton	Carter Kettyle	WR	Alberta
22	Toronto	Louis-Philippe Gauthier	DB	Montréal
23	Toronto	Darius McKenzie	LB	South Alabama
24	Winnipeg	Charles-Elliot Bouliane	LB	Montréal
25	Hamilton	Devynn Cromwell	DB	Michigan State
26	Calgary	Jesulayomi Ojutalayo	WR	Wilfrid Laurier
27	Calgary	Tristan Marois	DL	Colorado
28	Montreal	Nathan Udoh	WR	Manitoba
29	Saskatchewan	Darius Bell	OL	East Carolina

Round 4 — Depth Building

#	Team	Player	Pos	School
30	Toronto	Nolan Ulm	WR	Eastern Washington
31	Ottawa	Charlie Parks	DL	Saskatchewan
32	Edmonton	Spencer Walsh	OL	Wilfrid Laurier
33	Winnipeg	Ethan Stuart	DL	McMaster
34	Hamilton	Brayden Szeman	OL	Calgary
35	Edmonton	Justin Pace	LB	Queen's
36	BC	Pierre Kemeni	DB	Ohio
37	Montreal	Liam Talbot	RB	Windsor
38	Saskatchewan	Osasare Odemwingie	LB	Calgary

Round 5 — Canadian Universities Take Over

#	Team	Player	Pos	School
39	Ottawa	Alassane Diouf	OL	Montréal
40	Toronto	Frank Vreugdenhil	OL	McMaster
41	Ottawa	Benjamin Dobson	LB	Calgary
42	Winnipeg	Brody Clark	LB	York
43	Hamilton	Loïk Gagné	LB	Concordia
44	Calgary	Matt Sibley	WR	Calgary
45	BC	Nick Cenacle	WR	Hawaii
46	Montreal	Daley Harrison	DB	Windsor
47	Saskatchewan	Jez Janvier	OL	Mississippi

Round 6 — Late-Round Value

#	Team	Player	Pos	School	Notes
48	Ottawa	Rene Konga	DL	Louisville	Signed with Miami Dolphins
49	Toronto	Tyriq Quayson	WR	Windsor	—
50	Edmonton	Chris Pashula	OL	Calgary	—
51	Winnipeg	Ben Britton	WR	Calgary	—
52	Hamilton	Marc Djonay Rondeau	LB	Ottawa	—
53	Calgary	Mitchel Schechinger	OL	Guelph	—
54	BC	Ethan Graham	OL	Regina	—
55	Montreal	Michael Horvat	K	McMaster	—
56	Saskatchewan	Albert Reese IV	OL	Mississippi State	Signed with Carolina Panthers

Round 7 — Specialty Picks and Project Players

#	Team	Player	Pos	School
57	Toronto	Nathan Walker	P	York
58	Edmonton	Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald	QB/WR	McGill
59	Edmonton	Matthew Ljuden	OL	Alberta
60	Winnipeg	Joshua Jack	WR	Saint Mary's
61	Hamilton	Aamarii Notice	DL	Coastal Carolina
62	Calgary	Steven Kpehe	DL	Queen's
63	BC	Chase Henning	LB	UBC
64	Montreal	Cyrus McGarrell	DB	Northern Illinois
65	Saskatchewan	Shemar McBean	WR	UBC

Round 8 — The Final Picks

#	Team	Player	Pos	School
66	Ottawa	Josh Connors	LB	Wilfrid Laurier
67	Toronto	Weagbe Mombo	RB	Windsor
68	Toronto	Sebastian Parsalidis	FB	Wilfrid Laurier
69	Winnipeg	Brady Lidster	K	Windsor
70	Hamilton	Kyler Laing	DL	Mercyhurst
71	Calgary	Jack Warrack	OL	Saskatchewan
72	BC	Ebenezer Dibula	DL	Kennesaw State
73	Montreal	Zachary Houde	WR	St. Francis Xavier
74	Saskatchewan	Ryan Speight	FB	Wilfrid Laurier