The B.C. Lions have made big moves along the offensive line, striking deals with five Canadian offensive linemen. David Knevel and Andrew Peirson were re-signed, while Matt Guevremont, Tyler Packer, and Jesse Lawson inked new deals.
Knevel suited up in all 14 regular season games in 2021, bringing his career total to 33 over his three seasons with the Lions. He filled in at multiple positions along the line, including left tackle after Joel Figueroa went down with an injury in Week 3.
The six-foot-nine, 320-pound native of Brantford, Ont. was a third-round pick in the 2018 CFL Draft out of Nebraska.
Peirson dressed in all 14 regular season games in 2021 and won the Jamie Taras Award for team community service. He also earned B.C.’s nomination for the Tom Pate Award for outstanding sportsmanship and service to the community.
Guevremont was a fifth round pick in the 2020 CFL Draft who spent this past season developing on the practice roster. Before transferring to Indiana of Pennsylvania for his senior season, Guevremont’s college experience included a stint with the Malone Pioneers where he earned a Second Team GMAC All-Conference honour.
Packer was selected by the Lions in the sixth round of the 2021 CFL Draft, who returned to the University of Calgary for his final year of eligibility. In 2017, he was the first rookie Dino to start at right tackle since former B.C. Lions’ guard Kirby Fabien in 2009. Packer would go on to earn Canada West Rookie of the Year honours and helped the Dinos capture the 2019 Vanier Cup championship.
Lawson was a seventh-round draft pick of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 2020 CFL Draft. The Surrey product attended Sullivan Heights Secondary before suiting up for the BCFC Langley Rams. He would eventually move on to the University of Carleton Ravens where he played in nine games and also emerged from the 2019 East-West Bowl in the top 20 of the Central Scouting Bureau.
