Four Team Canada alumni taken in first round of 2021 CFL Draft, 11 overall

By Mike Still

A total of 11 Team Canada alumni were taken in the 2021 CFL Draft, which occurred online on May 4th. Six of the athletes were selected in the first two rounds, with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers leading the way with three total signings.

Offensive lineman Liam Dobson, ranked 12th in the final CFL Scouting Bureau rankings, was the first player with Team Canada ties to be selected via the Bombers. The 6’3”, 340-pound converted defensive lineman was taken third overall, and has tremendous athleticism for his size. He showed off his hops in the summer of 2019 by dunking a basketball with ease. A transfer to Texas State, the former Maine Black Bear was the school’s top offensive lineman in 2019 and had an impressive 12 knockdowns a game. The Ottawa native will return to school at Texas State in the fall, but could be a key piece in future seasons for a veteran Winnipeg offensive line.

Next off the board was linebacker Deshawn Stevens, taken sixth overall by the Ottawa Redblacks. A teammate of Dobson’s, the Toronto native had a dominant 2018 season, tallying 120 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, nine sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. An achilles injury kept him off the field in 2019, but he bounced back during Maine’s spring season, recording 36 tackles in four games. He projects as a defensive end in the CFL, and could be an instant special teams force.

The Calgary Stampeders went local with the eighth pick, taking Oklahoma State linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga. The alum of powerhouse Notre Dame High School made a name for himself on special teams, earning the school’s Outstanding Special Teams Player award in 2018, before having a monster season in 2019 where he was sixth in the Big 12 with 100 tackles. A multiple-year captain for the Cowboys, Ogbongbemiga is a prototypical CFL linebacker and a tackling machine. His CFL debut will potentially be delayed, as he signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Regina native Nick Cross was taken off the board one pick later by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. In 2017, the former Ram became the first player to start a season opener directly out of high school since 2008, earning Canada West Rookie of the Year honours along the way. He was all over the field for UBC after transferring a few years ago, leading a young squad with 75 tackles (topped Canada West) and a sack. Cross is another player who’ll make an immediate difference on special teams, and he projects to play safety at the pro level, which suits his sideline-to-sideline style.

Montreal also went local with the first pick of round two, drafting Carabins offenslve lineman Pier-Olivier Lestage. The pick was a no-brainer, as Als general manager Danny Maciocia prefers to play with four Canadian starters up front. Lestage has been a force over the last four years for a consistently strong offensive line in Montreal. He was named a Second Team All-Canadian in 2019 at the guard position, but can play anywhere up front.

The final Team Canada alum taken within the first two rounds was defensive back Alonzo Addae, who was drafted 13th overall by Ottawa. The Ontario native spent three years at FCS school New Hampshire before transferring to West Virginia – the alma mater of his cousin Jahmile. Moving from corner to safety, he had a spectacular 2020 season and can play multiple positions in the secondary.

Other Team Canada alum selected were UBC linebacker Ben Hladik (22nd to BC), Regina running back Kyle Borsa (39th to Winnipeg), Saskatchewan defensive back Josh Hagerty (47th overall to Toronto), Manitoba defensive back Shae Weekes (48th overall to Winnipeg) and Calgary offensive lineman Tyler Packer (51st to BC).

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