One of the Canadian Football League’s best young cornerbacks is beginning to make the rounds in the NFL.
On Wednesday, the Detroit Lions hosted Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ cornerback DeAundre Alford. The visit comes one day after Alford had a tryout with the Lions’ divisional rivals, the Chicago Bears.
Considered by many to be the most sought after CFL player for NFL clubs this off-season, Alford was named a CFL all-star in his true rookie season. The 24-year old started all 14 games for the back-to-back champs in 2021, notching 48 tackles and four interceptions.
Despite recording 140 tackles, 10 interceptions and a school record 40 pass break-ups at tiny Division II Tusculum University, the five-foot-eleven, 175-pound Alford went undrafted and unsigned by the NFL in 2020 after his pro day workouts were cancelled due to the pandemic.
Alford is now making up for lost time by taking advantage of the CFL’s new NFL option window, but remains under contract with the Bombers for 2022 if he cannot find an NFL landing spot.
The NFL option window opened on Monday, Dec. 13, 2021 and will remain open until 12:01 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. CFL players are able to work out for NFL teams during this period even if they are under contract with a team north of the border.
