NFL training camps have officially opened across the United States, which means it’s time to take stock of the Canadians and former CFL players competing for roster spots this year.
Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name. Please note that ‘N’ denotes nationals (ie. Canadians), ‘A’ denotes Americans, and ‘G’ denotes Globals.
OL Isaiah Adams (N) — Arizona Cardinals
CFL rights holder: None
The native of Ajax, Ont. was a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of the University of Illinois and is expected to compete for a starting job at guard with the Cardinals this season. The six-foot-four, 316-pound blocker was named third-team All-Big Ten at left guard with the Fighting Illini as a junior before moving to right tackle for his senior season, where he was named an All-Big Ten honourable mention.
DB DeAundre Alford (A) — Atlanta Falcons
CFL rights holder: None
The former CFL all-star cornerback has been a strong contributor over two seasons with the Falcons, recording 66 total tackles, three tackles for loss, 13 pass knockdowns, two fumble recoveries, one interception, and 0.5 sacks over 32 regular season games. Alford started five games for the team this past season and projects as a strong rotational player at nickel cornerback for the upcoming year.
DL Eli Ankou (N) — Buffalo Bills
CFL rights holder: Ottawa Redblacks
The Ottawa native dressed for one game with the Atlanta Falcons last season before returning to Buffalo for a stint on the practice roster. The six-foot-three, 325-pound defender has had 13 separate stints with nine different NFL teams since 2017, recording 44 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks over 34 career games.
QB Casey Bauman (N) — Los Angeles Chargers
CFL rights holder: None
The native of Sumas, Wash. qualified for Canadian citizenship through his B.C.-born mother ahead of the 2024 CFL Draft but got scooped up by an NFL team following a solid showing at the CFL Combine. The six-foot-six, 229-pound passer spent the past two seasons at Augustana University, completing 61.0 percent of his passes for 4,160 yards, 43 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions and rushing for 572 yards and six touchdowns.
OL Theo Benedet (N) — Chicago Bears
CFL rights holder: B.C. Lions
The six-foot-seven, 295-pound blocker became one of the most decorated offensive linemen in the history of U Sports while playing at the University of British Columbia, winning back-to-back J. P. Metras Trophies. He received $100,000 in guaranteed money to sign with the Bears after going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft and is listed at right tackle on Chicago’s depth chart to start training camp.
OL Matthew Bergeron (N) — Atlanta Falcons
CFL rights holder: None
The native of Victoriaville, Que. was selected No. 38 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Syracuse University and was a full-time starter as a rookie at left guard, playing all 1,129 of the team’s offensive snaps. Atlanta finished the season with the No. 9-ranked rushing attack with 127 yards per game and tied for No. 12 league-wide in sacks allowed with 40.
DL Mathieu Betts (N) — Detroit Lions
CFL rights holder: None
The 29-year-old was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player this past season when he made 44 defensive tackles, 18 sacks, and four forced fumbles as a member of the B.C. Lions. The Montreal native and product of Laval Université got an NFL shot with the Chicago Bears coming out of U Sports in 2019 but chose to return south of the border this year despite not receiving any guaranteed money from Detroit.
RB Chase Brown (N) — Cincinnati Bengals
CFL rights holder: Montreal Alouettes
The native of London, Ont. won the Jon Cornish Trophy as the top Canadian football player in the NCAA in 2022 and was a fifth-round pick in last year’s NFL draft. He dressed for 12 games as a rookie with the Bengals in 2023, recording 44 carries for 179 yards and 14 catches for 156 yards and one touchdown. He is expected to serve as the backup to Zack Moss, who signed a two-year free-agent contract with Cincinnati this past off-season.
DB Sydney Brown (N) — Philadelphia Eagles
CFL rights holder: None
The six-foot, 200-pound cover man was a third-round pick of the Eagles in the 2023 NFL Draft and had a solid rookie campaign, recording 45 total tackles, one tackle for loss, three pass knockdowns, one interception, and one forced fumble over 14 games, making six starts. His season came to an abrupt end, however, as he suffered a torn ACL in Philadelphia’s final regular season game and hasn’t yet been cleared to return to action.
DB Tevaughn Campbell (N) — Jacksonville Jaguars
CFL rights holder: None
The University of Regina product and native of Scarborough, Ont. spent most of last season on Jacksonville’s practice roster, dressing for only two games. Over 37 career NFL games with the Los Angeles Chargers and Jaguars, Campbell has made 65 total tackles, seven pass knockdowns, one interception, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
REC Chase Claypool (N) — Buffalo Bills
CFL rights holder: Saskatchewan Roughriders
The former second-round pick made only eight catches over 12 games as a member of the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins last season and was a free agent for well over a month before the Bills signed him this off-season. The native of Abbotsford, B.C. has made 175 catches for 2,261 yards and 13 touchdowns over 58 regular season NFL games but is looking to get his career back on track with Buffalo.
DB Douglas Coleman III (A) — Chicago Bears
CFL rights holder: None
The 26-year-old product of Texas Tech University had a breakout season with the Ottawa Redblacks last year, recording 60 defensive tackles, four sacks, three interceptions, and two touchdowns from his position at strong-side linebacker. This is Coleman’s second shot in the NFL as he signed with the Denver Broncos following his collegiate career with the Red Raiders.
OL Anim Dankwah (N) — Philadelphia Eagles
CFL rights holder: Toronto Argonauts
The six-foot-eight, 353-pound blocker signed with the Eagles after going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Born in Ghana before moving to Brampton, Ont. for high school, Dankwah was a three-year starter for Howard University in Washington, D.C. at left tackle, allowing a career-low 11 pressures and two sacks as a senior in 2023.
LB Samuel Eguavoen (A) — New York Jets
CFL rights holder: None
The 31-year-old has consistently found work in the NFL since leaving the Saskatchewan Roughriders following the 2018 season, dressing for 15 games with the Jets last year and making four total tackles and one fumble recovery. Eguavoen has made 75 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, three fumble recoveries, and two pass knockdowns over 81 career NFL games.
DL Neville Gallimore (N) — Miami Dolphins
CFL rights holder: Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Ottawa native never fully lived up to his billing as a third-round pick with the Dallas Cowboys, making 90 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four sacks, and three pass knockdowns over 52 career games, making only one start over the past two seasons. The six-foot-two, 302-pound defender signed a $1.79 million deal with Miami in free agency where he’ll look to prove he can be a full-time starter at nose tackle.
P Trenton Gill (N) — Denver Broncos
CFL rights holder: None
The 25-year-old was born and raised in North Carolina but received his Canadian citizenship through his mother, who is from Sarnia, Ont. Gill was a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and spent two seasons with the Chicago Bears, punting 133 times for a net average of 38.5 yards per attempt, before signing with the Broncos this past off-season.
OL Julian Good-Jones (A) — Washington Commanders
CFL rights holder: None
The former Calgary Stampeder made the practice roster with the Philadelphia Eagles last season but was claimed by the Commanders midway through the regular season. The six-foot-five, 319-pound blocker dressed for one regular season game with Washington at guard and has returned to compete for an expanded role with the team this year.
DB Erik Harris (A) — San Francisco 49ers
CFL rights holder: None
The six-foot-two, 225-pound defender is still on an NFL roster at the age of 34, almost 10 years after he was a standout strong-side linebacker with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Harris dressed for three games with the 49ers last season and has made 267 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 28 pass knockdowns, five interceptions, one forced fumble, and 0.5 sacks over 94 career NFL games with New Orleans, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and San Francisco.
TE N’Keal Harry (N) — Minnesota Vikings
CFL rights holder: None
The former first-round pick is still looking to find a consistent role in the NFL and has officially converted from wide receiver to tight end in the hope of doing so. Born in Toronto but raised primarily in the U.S., the six-foot-four, 225-pound target has made 64 catches for 714 yards and five touchdowns over 49 career games with New England, Chicago, and Minnesota.
OL Kyle Hergel (N) — New Orleans Saints
CFL rights holder: Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Toronto native got $20,000 in guaranteed money to sign with the Saints after going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft and will look to crack the team’s active roster during training camp. Hergel made 54 collegiate starts at the University of North Dakota, Texas State University, and Boston College, earning conference honours each season, not including his redshirt year.
DL Michael Hoecht (N) — Los Angeles Rams
CFL rights holder: Ottawa Redblacks
The native of Oakville, Ont. became a full-time starter with the Rams this past season, his fourth with the team, making 81 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, six sacks, two pass knockdowns, and one forced fumble. The Brown University product has fared decently at outside linebacker in Los Angeles but, at six-foot-four and 310 pounds, Hoecht would be better suited to spending more time along the defensive line.
DB Jevon Holland (N) — Miami Dolphins
CFL rights holder: None
The native of Coquitlam, B.C. missed five games due to injury last season but still had a strong year at safety, making 74 total tackles, three tackles for loss, four pass knockdowns, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one interception, which he returned for a touchdown. The former second-round draft pick has now made 239 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 21 pass knockdowns, five interceptions, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and four sacks over 45 career games.
RB Chuba Hubbard (N) — Carolina Panthers
CFL rights holder: Calgary Stampeders
The native of Sherwood Park, Alta. beat out Miles Sanders for the starting job partway through last season and recorded 238 carries for 902 yards and five touchdowns and 39 receptions for 233 yards and one score, setting all-new career highs. Heading into the final year of his rookie contract, Hubbard is expected to be Carolina’s starter again in 2024.
OL Alaric Jackson (N) — Los Angeles Rams
CFL rights holder: B.C. Lions
The Windsor, Ont. native made 15 starts at left tackle for the Rams last season as part of an offensive line that allowed 34 sacks, which tied for the sixth-fewest in the NFL. Jackson will make $4.89 million this year on a one-year contract extension he signed in April and is expected to earn a huge raise for 2025 if he has another strong campaign protecting Matthew Stafford’s blindside.
TE Theo Johnson (N) — New York Giants
CFL rights holder: B.C. Lions
The six-foot-six, 259-pound target ran a 4.57-second forty-yard dash at the NFL Combine earlier this year, leading to him being taken in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Giants. Johnson caught 77 passes for 938 yards and 12 touchdowns over 45 collegiate games at Penn State University and is expected to earn significant playing time as a rookie.
TE Nikola Kalinic (N) — Los Angeles Rams
CFL rights holder: None
The 27-year-old native of Toronto spent all of last season on the practice roster with the Rams. He previously dressed for seven games with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022, recording one kickoff return for 15 yards. Kalinic originally started his professional career with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, making back-to-back Grey Cup appearances in 2019 and 2021.
TE Dalton Kincaid (N) — Buffalo Bills
CFL rights holder: None
The former first-round pick had a strong rookie season with the Bills, catching 73 passes for 673 yards and two touchdowns over 11 regular season starts and recording eight receptions for 104 yards and one touchdown in two playoff games. Though Kincaid was born and raised in Nevada, he is a dual citizen of Canada and the U.S.
DB Deane Leonard (N) — Los Angeles Chargers
CFL rights holder: Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The native of Calgary, Alta. made three starts for the Chargers last season, his second in the NFL, recording 28 total tackles, one tackle for loss, three pass knockdowns, and one forced fumble. Leonard has now dressed for 28 career regular season games since being taken in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
LB Jesse Luketa (N) — Arizona Cardinals
CFL rights holder: Ottawa Redblacks
The six-foot-three, 255-pound defender made 11 total tackles and one tackle for loss over 14 games with the Cardinals this past season, including one start. Born in Edmonton, Alta. but raised primarily in Ottawa, Ont., Luketa has played 21 games with Arizona since being taken in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Penn State University.
REC Austin Mack (A) — Atlanta Falcons
CFL rights holder: Montreal Alouettes
The 26-year-old native of Fort Wayne, Ind. was named a CFL all-star last season when he caught 78 passes for 1,154 yards and four touchdowns, helping the Alouettes win the Grey Cup. Mack received a signing bonus worth close to $25,000 to ink his deal with the Falcons, giving him some reassurance that the team is serious about him possibly being on the active roster come Week 1.
OL Giovanni Manu (N) — Detroit Lions
CFL rights holder: Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The six-foot-seven, 352-pound blocker rocketed up NFL draft boards following a sensational pro day at the University of British Columbia where he ran a 5.03-second forty-yard dash and leaped 33.5 inches in the vertical jump. Manu ended up being selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft with Detroit trading up to secure his rights. The two-time second-team U Sports All-Canadian was born and raised in Tonga before moving to Pitt Meadows, B.C. at the age of 11.
KR Tyreik McAllister (A) — Las Vegas Raiders
CFL rights holder: Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The five-foot-eleven, 180-pound speedster led the CFL in kickoff return average and all-purpose yardage as a rookie with the Tiger-Cats in 2023, leading to interest from south of the border. Last season in Steeltown, McAllister recorded 13 carries for 52 yards, 27 receptions for 364 yards and two touchdowns, 41 kickoff returns for an average of 25.3 yards, 56 punt returns for an average of 10.8 yards, and seven missed field goal returns for 408 yards and one touchdown.
TE Tanner McLachlan (N) — Cincinnati Bengals
CFL rights holder: Calgary Stampeders
The native of Lethbridge, Alta. was a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of the University of Arizona, where he caught 79 passes for 984 yards and six touchdowns over 25 collegiate games with the Wildcats. The six-foot-five, 244-pounder was named an All-PAC 12 honourable mention in 2023.
REC John Metchie III (N) — Houston Texans
CFL rights holder: B.C. Lions
Born in Taiwan but raised in Brampton, Ont., the five-foot-eleven, 187-pound target made 16 catches for 158 yards over 16 games with the Texans in 2023, the first regular season NFL action of his career. Metchie missed his entire rookie campaign in 2022 after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia but has since made a full recovery. The former second-round pick out of the University of Alabama is the younger brother of Toronto Argonauts’ defensive back Royce Metchie.
OL Carter O’Donnell (N) — Arizona Cardinals
CFL rights holder: Edmonton Elks
The native of Red Deer, Alta. and product of the University of Alberta dressed for five games with the Cardinals last season and made three starts at guard, though he was recently moved to injured reserve after clearing waivers. O’Donnell has been in the NFL since 2020 when he signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent.
LB Amen Ogbongbemiga (N) — Chicago Bears
CFL rights holder: Calgary Stampeders
The six-foot, 231-pound defender signed a one-year, $2.1 million contract with the Bears in March following a three-year run with the Los Angeles Chargers during which he made 36 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and two fumble recoveries over 47 games. The Oklahoma State University product was born in Lagos, Nigeria but spent most of adolescent years living in Calgary, Alta.
DL David Onyemata (N) — Atlanta Falcons
CFL rights holder: Saskatchewan Roughriders
The University of Manitoba product made 50 total tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks, three pass knockdowns, and two fumble recoveries over 14 games last season, his first with the Falcons. Since being taken in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, Onyemata has recorded 294 total tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 27 sacks, nine pass knockdowns, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one interception.
REC Josh Palmer (N) — Los Angeles Chargers
CFL rights holder: None
The 24-year-old native of Brampton, Ont. made 38 catches for 581 yards and two touchdowns last season, his third since being taken in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Chargers. The University of Tennessee product has now made 143 receptions for 1,703 yards and nine touchdowns over 43 career NFL games, including 22 starts.
DB Taylor Rapp (N) — Buffalo Bills
CFL rights holder: None
The former second-round pick, whose father was born in Canada, made 50 total tackles, one tackle for loss, two pass knockdowns, one interception, one fumble recovery, and 0.5 sacks over 16 games with the Bills last season, leading him to sign a three-year extension with the team. Rapp has now made 149 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, 25 pass knockdowns, 10 interceptions, four fumble recoveries, two sacks, and one forced fumble over 73 career games with Los Angeles and Buffalo.
LB Tavius Robinson (N) — Baltimore Ravens
CFL rights holder: Saskatchewan Roughriders
The six-foot-seven, 257-pound native of Guelph, Ont. was a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and had a solid rookie season, recording 26 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack over 17 games, making one start. The 25-year-old is expected to fill a depth role with the Ravens again this year on what is expected to be one of the NFL top defences.
QB Nathan Rourke (N) — New York Giants
CFL rights holder: None
The native of Victoria, B.C. split time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots last season and was active for six regular season games, earning over $500,000. Rourke was claimed off waivers by the Giants in May and is currently listed as the team’s fourth-string quarterback behind incumbent starter Daniel Jones, journeyman Drew Lock, and second-year passer Tommy DeVito.
QB Brett Rypien (N) — Chicago Bears
CFL rights holder: None
The nephew of Calgary native and Super Bowl XXVI MVP Mark Rypien signed a one-year contract with Chicago in March where he’ll be coached by former CFL M.O.P. Kerry Joseph. The Boise State product played 11 games with the Los Angeles Rams last season and threw for 172 yards and one interception before being waived and having brief stints with the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets.
OL Dakoda Shepley (N) — Dallas Cowboys
CFL rights holder: None
The six-foot-five, 290-pound native of Windsor, Ont. spent last season on the practice roster with the Colts and Cowboys, not dressing for any regular season games. The 29-year-old has suited up for 13 contests with the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and Cowboys since playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2019.
DL Nathan Shepherd (N) — New Orleans Saints
CFL rights holder: Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Ajax, Ont. native is entering the second year of a three-year, $15 million contract he signed with New Orleans as a free agent last year. The six-foot-four, 315-pound defender has recorded 154 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks over 90 career NFL games since entering the league as a third-round pick with the New York Jets in 2018.
LB Alex Singleton (N) — Denver Broncos
CFL rights holder: None
The former CFL award winner set a new career-high and single-season team record with the Broncos last season as he made 177 total tackles along with six tackles for loss, four pass knockdowns, two sacks, and two fumble recoveries. The dual citizen of Canada and the U.S. has made 602 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 12 pass knockdowns, five fumble recoveries, four sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles over 76 NFL games since departing for the league in 2019.
OL Sidy Sow (N) — New England Patriots
CFL rights holder: Saskatchewan Roughriders
The six-foot-five, 323-pound native of Bromont, Que. started 13 games for New England as a rookie after being selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Eastern Michigan University. The 26-year-old is currently projected to start at right guard this season as part of the new-look Patriots under head coach Jerod Mayo.
DB Benjamin St-Juste (N) — Washington Commanders
CFL rights holder: Toronto Argonauts
The Montreal native set almost all-new career highs in 2023, starting 16 games and recording 67 total tackles, one tackle for loss 17 pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles, one interception, and one sack. The former third-round pick out of the University of Minnesota has made 135 total tackles, four tackles for loss, 27 pass knockdowns, three sacks, three forced fumbles, and one interception over 37 career NFL games.
DB Qwan’tez Stiggers (A) — New York Jets
CFL rights holder: Toronto Argonauts
The native of Atlanta, Ga. was a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after he was named an East Division all-star and the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie as a member of the Toronto Argonauts in 2023. Stiggers never played college football before turning pro, becoming the first player drafted directly to the NFL from the CFL since 1999.
DB Jonathan Sutherland (N) — Seattle Seahawks
CFL rights holder: Montreal Alouettes
The five-foot-eleven, 202-pound native of Ottawa, Ont. spent most of last season on the practice roster in Seattle after initially being waived by the team with an injury designation. Sutherland made 136 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery over 56 collegiate games at Penn State University where he was a four-time team captain with the Nittany Lions.
DL Lwal Uguak (N) — Tampa Bay Buccaneers
CFL rights holder: Montreal Alouettes
The native of Edmonton, Alta. was a first-round pick of the Montreal Alouettes in the 2023 CFL Draft and he had a strong rookie year, recording 16 tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble to help the team win the Grey Cup. Uguak’s performance caught the attention of NFL scouts as he signed with the Buccaneers in January.
DL Brent Urban (N) — Baltimore Ravens
CFL rights holder: Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Mississauga native dressed for 17 games with the Ravens last season and made three starts, recording 22 total tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks, two pass knockdowns, and one fumble recovery. Urban has played 109 career games with the Ravens, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Titans, and Dallas Cowboys, recording 150 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 14 pass knockdowns, 10 sacks, and one fumble recovery.
DL Kendal Vickers (A) — New Orleans Saints
CFL rights holder: None
The six-foot-three, 295-pound defender has maintained a spot in the NFL since a one-year CFL stint with Edmonton in 2019, dressing for 27 games with the Raiders and Bills and making 22 total tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks. Vickers signed a one-year, $1.06 million contract with the Saints in March.
DL Luiji Vilain (N) — Carolina Panthers
CFL rights holder: Toronto Argonauts
The Ottawa, Ont. native initially made the practice roster with Minnesota last season but was claimed by Carolina partway through the season. He dressed for one game with the Panthers before being placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. Vilain dressed for three games with the Vikings as a rookie in 2022, making four total tackles.
REC Jared Wayne (N) — Free Agent
CFL rights holder: Toronto Argonauts
The six-foot-three, 210-pound native of Peterborough, Ont. joined the Texans as an undrafted free agent last year and spent the entire season on the practice roster. Wayne was recently waived by the team, though he’s expected to rejoin Houston’s roster in the coming weeks, per source.
