There are just three days remaining until the 2024 CFL Draft, with hundreds of players waiting to see their pro football dreams realized on Tuesday, April 30 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
As always, 3DownNation will be your go-to source for extensive coverage of all eight rounds. Analysts J.C. Abbott and Ben Grant will be live on YouTube for the entirety of the selection process, while mock draft guru John Hodge is set to provide up-to-the-minute written analysis with his annual live blog.
In the lead-up to the festivities, our team has collaborated on prospect rankings at every position, culminating in the unveiling of our annual Top 25. We’ve already broken down the quarterbacks, running backs, fullbacks, tight ends, receivers, offensive linemen, and defensive linemen. Make sure to check back tomorrow when we rank the defensive backs.
Linebackers
1. Joel Dublanko, University of Cincinnati (Aberdeen, Wash.)
The projected first overall pick in the Draft, the Edmonton Elks should be dancing in the streets that Dublanko’s Canadian-born father has made him eligible for selection. A former first-team All-AAC honouree who helped drive the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff in 2021, he’s already had stints with the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks, while also starting last year for the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars. The six-foot-two, 231-pound defender is leaner, meaner, and faster than he was coming out of school, showing the instincts and athletic ability to go sideline-to-sideline. You can pencil him in as a plug-and-play ratio-breaker.
2. Geoffrey Cantin-Arku, University of Memphis (Levis, Que.)
Don’t let his slower forty-time fool you, Cantin-Arku was nearly as productive as Dublanko in the same college conference and actually posted higher PFF grades in his final two seasons — albeit while playing fewer games. At six-foot-three and 230 pounds, he flows and fills as well as anyone, with excellent eye discipline and downhill aggression. He may lack a true top gear to cover space, but he’ll start in the middle for a CFL team in due time.
3. Nick Wiebe, University of Saskatchewan (Calgary, Alta.)
You’d be forgiven for forgetting Wiebe was even in this draft, given that his torn ACL in the Hardy Cup playoffs has nearly erased him from the media narrative. That’s a tragedy, as the former walk-on for the Oregon Ducks is a first-round talent who closes with violence and packs a punch as a tackler, with sneaky-good coverage skills to boot. The six-foot-three, 240-pound Canada West all-star won’t be ready to play next season, but he is more than worth the wait.
4. Melique Straker, Arkansas State University (Brampton, Ont.)
Atrocious change of direction numbers at his Arkansas State pro day have tanked any first-round buzz around Straker, but the quality of the tape hasn’t changed. A true SAM linebacker at five-foot-10 and 202 pounds, the transfer from Carleton had more than enough fluidity in his hips to cover in the slot in college. His strength and explosiveness are elite when sifting through traffic as well, giving him a chance to steal a starting role even if he falls on Tuesday.
5. Dawson Pierre, Concordia University (Montreal, Que.)
Pierre’s official measurements of six-foot-two and 219 pounds don’t nearly do justice to how big and muscular he looks in person, a big reason why he’ll move from the secondary into the box in the CFL. He’s comfortable with the linebacker position already after playing it growing up and actually committed to Maine as an edge rusher, before bumping to halfback at Concordia. With great speed and fluidity for his size, he’ll be an instant mismatch on special teams in the pros.
6. Daniel Bell, Mount Allison University (St. John, N.B.)
A two-time AUS Defensive Player of the Year winner at safety, Bell doesn’t quite have the foot speed and range to hold down that spot as a pro. What he does have is excellent short-area quickness and the ability to rapidly sort through the muck in the box, traits which will serve him well as a six-foot-one, 218-pound linebacker convert. His ugly bench press at the CFL Combine won’t assuage concerns regarding strength and readiness coming from the weaker Atlantic conference, but nobody in this draft is a more reliable tackler.
7. Olivier Muembi, Queen’s University (Stoney Creek, Ont.)
Injuries derailed a promising tenure at Delaware State but Muembi proved after transferring to Queen’s last season that he deserves to be in the conversation with the top linebackers. He’s explosive and twitchy with eyes that stick in the backfield and a tendency to make plays even if he’s not in the perfect position. With the added flexibility to blitz off the edge and excellent special teams traits, he’ll be a value add in the mid-rounds.
8. D.K. Bonhomme, University of South Alabama (Ottawa, Ont.)
Once a prime prospect for Indiana, Bonhomme battled injuries and retired with a badly broken ankle after transferring to South Alabama. After ballooning to 260 pounds while sitting on the couch, he’s back to a trim 225 for the comeback with all the twitch and pass-rush upside that he flashed at his peak. How high teams land on him will depend on how much they trust his character, as his unexpected no-show at the Invitational Combine raised lots of questions.
9. Mitchell Townsend, University of British Columbia (North Vancouver, B.C.)
Few players earn more rave reviews from their coaches than Townsend has at UBC, which is hardly a surprise considering his exceptional football intelligence. He’ll never be a rangy coverage player and an underwhelming testing performance at the CFL Combine has hurt his stock, but his best work has come between the tackles or when rushing the passer. His defensive role might be limited at the next level but at a rugged six-foot-three and 227 pounds, he has the makeup of a future special teams captain.
10. Zach Philion, Concordia University (Lorraine, Que.)
The son of legendary Alouettes defensive tackle Ed Philion spent two seasons being coached by his dad at Concordia but couldn’t be more different as a player. He’s a finesse linebacker with the skillset and instincts to cover in the short and intermediate areas of the field, though his athletic traits wouldn’t be considered special by pro standards. At six-foot-one and 221 pounds, Philion tends to be too tentative against the run and adding a little more of his dad’s nasty edge would help cement his future status as a core special teamer.
11. Ryan Baker, University of British Columbia (North Vancouver, B.C.)
Townsend’s teammate at both the high school and university level, Baker suffered from the same head-scratchingly poor athletic testing in Winnipeg. That simply isn’t reflective of how he plays on tape, as the former quarterback commit has transformed into a two-time Canada West all-star on defence thanks to his recognition and positional versatility. The six-foot-one, 221-pound backer punches above his athletic weight class by playing with hustle and a mental headstart, flashing much better range than he showed in spandex.
12. Terrence Ganyi, University of Maine (Montreal, Que.)
Defensive reps have been hard to come by for Ganyi at UConn or Maine, in part due to his undersized six-foot, 218-pound frame. The tape he does have shows a player who looks lost at times, so that’s unlikely to change in the CFL. Teams will instead hang their hat on the quality and volume of his special teams film, where he has been successful due to his long arms and solid athletic measurables. Nevertheless, you’d like to see more strength and pop from the wrap-up tackler.
13. Lourenz Bowers-Kane, Western University (Dartmouth, N.S.)
A five-foot-10, 200-pound SAM linebacker for Western, Bowers-Kane was highly active on his way to second-team All-Canadian honours but lacks a natural CFL fit. He’s small for the box and his hips are too tight to reliably cover as a defensive back, sometimes even losing track of his assignments for the Mustangs as the play progressed. Scouts will be banking on his family bloodlines to justify this pick — which include the likes of NFLers Tommy Kane and Tyrone Williams.
14. Jay Turnsek, St. Francis Xavier University (North Bay, Ont.)
Turnsek is a man without a position, lacking the range to play safety and too small to be a traditional linebacker at five-foot-10 and 199 pounds. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s one hell of a football player and physically stronger than anyone else on this list. He scrapes well and explodes through opponents on contact, so why not just label him a special teams stud and call it a day?
15. Isaac Auger, Université de Montréal (Montreal, Que.)
After showing early promise, injuries reduced Auger to being a role-playing backup with the Carabins. At six-foot-one and 220 pounds, he flashed when on the field as a cover linebacker and halfback, especially when asked to fly downhill. With some physical special teams tape under his belt as well, there could be enough to merit a late-round flyer.
16. Gabriel Royer, Bishop’s University (Lawrenceville, Que.)
The 2022 AUS Defensive Player of the Year has been hyper-productive at a low level of competition, showing nice coverage instincts and the first-step quickness to make plays. That likely won’t be enough for scouts to overlook a five-foot-10, 213-pound frame that gets swallowed up by bigger linemen. Unless he can quickly pack on weight and add enough strength to justify a fullback conversion, he likely won’t find a role.
On the fringes: Max Nixon, Western (Dorchester, Ont.) | Thomas Landry, Laval (Quebec City, Que.) | Ramsey Derbas, Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, Sask.) | Malik Yusuf, Carleton (Ottawa, Ont.) | Cameron Mah, Regina (Vancouver, B.C.)
