The Calgary Stampeders have owned the CFL Draft over the past two seasons, adding impactful Canadian talent at a rate that few opponents can rival.
Last year’s first overall selection, Damien Alford, has already departed for the NFL after flashing game-breaking ability as a rookie. First-round picks Christy Nkanu and Christopher Fortin have become valuable starters on the offensive line, while depth selections like Ludovick Choquette and Quincy Vaughn have carved out impactful roles.
However, one top pick has yet to live up to expectations. Calgary took a big swing when they selected uber-athletic defensive back Ben Labrosse with the fourth overall pick in 2024. Now entering the final season of his rookie contract, long-term decisions will have to be made.
“It is a big year for Ben. He knows that,” head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson acknowledged.
Labrosse posted impressive numbers at the 2024 CFL Combine, winning the broad jump with a leap of 11 feet, two inches. He tied for first with a 4.51-second 40-yard dash and finished second in the vertical jump with a leap of 38.5 inches while recording a 6.76-second three-cone, 4.31-second short shuttle, and 12 reps on the bench press.
That led Calgary to wager its top pick on the Greenfield Park, Que., native, despite the fact that he had played just 18 collegiate games between Syracuse and McGill, and sat out the 2023 season due to academic issues. Initial results were promising, as Labrosse started nine of the 14 games that he dressed for as a rookie and recorded 34 defensive tackles. However, his streaky play contributed to the Stampeders’ last-place finish.
After being listed as Calgary’s starting field cornerback to begin the 2025 season, Labrosse was benched early in favour of free agent addition Adrian Greene. He dressed in just eight games due to injuries that had plagued him since the previous season, recording five defensive tackles and two on special teams.
“I’m excited for Ben to come into camp healthy. Essentially, he’s been dealing with the foot problem ever since we drafted him,” Dickenson explained. “He was playing without a ligament in his foot, and then it just wasn’t going the way we were hoping, so we got surgery. When he came back last year, he just wasn’t himself, and then at the end of the year, he was. He started making an impact covering our punts and kicks, and watching him in practice.”
The Stampeders started three different Canadians at cornerback over the course of last season, but never went back to Labrosse. Greene started 12 games and earned himself a nice contract extension. Veteran Godfrey Onyeka stepped in for seven games, while undrafted free agent Dolani Robinson defied the odds by starting three games.
That is a crowded group for Labrosse to reestablish himself within, but Calgary has demonstrated a greater willingness to start National talent in the secondary than most CFL teams. That could allow the once-highly touted draft pick a chance to revitalize his career in a contract year.
“We’ve got options, but we don’t have any trepidation at all playing Canadians in the back end, and Ben should get a great opportunity,” Dickenson insisted. “I’m looking forward to him coming in healthy, strong and ready to compete. I trust that he’ll make an impact for us.”
The Stampeders hold the sixth overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on May 10. Calgary will play its first preseason game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Monday, May 18, and its first regular-season game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday, June 5.
In 2025, Calgary finished third in the West Division standings with an 11-7 record but lost the West Semi-Final to the B.C. Lions.
