Canadian defensive back Deane Leonard was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the 236th overall selection in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
At the University of Mississippi pro day in March, Leonard checked in at six-foot-one, 194 pounds while recording a 33-inch vertical, nine-foot, 11-inch broad jump, 4.18 short shuttle, 7.18 three-cone along with 14 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. There were 71 scouts representing 31 NFL teams in Oxford, MS to take in his performance live.
After transferring to Ole Miss from the University of Calgary in 2020, Leonard played 19 games during two seasons with the Rebels in the Southeastern Conference. He defended 11 passes while making 64 tackles, one tackle for loss and recovering one fumble.
Leonard was a first-team All-Canadian in 2019 with Calgary. He made 22 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, eight passes defended while leading the Canada West Conference with four interceptions, returning two for touchdowns on the road at the University of Alberta and University of British Columbia.
The son of former Calgary Stampeders defensive back Kenton Leonard was a lockdown cover man on the Dinos 2019 Vanier Cup championship team. The two-time All-Canadian is a smooth-moving DB who has top end speed. He is a Calgary native and played at Notre Dame High School in Cowtown.
Leonard’s fast 40-yard time certainly caught the attention of NFL scouts and the Chargers grabbed him to go along with veteran Canadian cover man Tevaughn Campbell who has been with LA for three seasons.
