The CFL Canadian Draft has come and gone, and the BC Lions added several players to their stable of assets. While some will be in camp in a few weeks time, there are others they will need to wait on. Let’s take a look at what the Lions did on Tuesday.
Round One – 7th Overall – Nate Demontagnac WR – North Dakota
With their first pick of the draft, seventh overall, the BC Lions selected receiver Nate Demontagnac from the University of North Dakota. The 6’2, 186 pound receiver was the 3rd highest rated receiver in the draft, ranked 18th in the Spring CFL Central Scouting rankings.
3DownNation’s John Hodge, had Demontagnac going 11th overall in his rankings, but the Lions obviously thought enough of him to snap him up with 7th overall pick.
“The native of Mississauga, Ont., didn’t have elite production with the Fighting Hawks but has become the clear No. 1 receiver in this year’s draft,” Hodge wrote. “The 6-foot-2, 186-pound target ran well at his pro day and put on a clinic during the on-field portion of the CFL Combine.”
North Dakota has a well respected football program, and has produced CFL players that have had long careers in the league, including receiver Weston Dressler, running back Brady Oliviera and defensive lineman Scott Schultz.
Adding a Canadian receiver to the mix is probably a wise move given the age of Jevon Cottoy (29), combined with the fact Canadian receiver depth is currently thin on the roster. Some feel Demontagnac could be a contributor as soon as this season, and he also has a strong special teams resume.
Round Two – 15th Overall – Jett Elad DB – Rutgers
The Lions switched over to the defense, to address another need, though with a couple players they already have on theor roster, it may not be at the position that 15th overall pick Jett Elad played at Rutgers.
The 6’1, 205 pound Elad played safety in college, and with Jackson Findlay and Cristophe Beaulieu already on the roster, 3DownNation’s JC Abbott feels he may be more suited as a SAM linebacker in the CFL.
Elad was a 2025 finalist for the Cornish Trophy, which is awarded each year to the top Canadian player in the NCAA. 2025 was a season that Elad had to fight to play in after suing the NCAA over eligibilty rules.
It remains to be seen the impact Elad will have this season. He is currently recovering from hernia surgey that was performed in December and will not be available for training camp, and likely the forst couple months of the season as he rehabs.
Round 4 – 36th Overall – Pierre Kemeni DB – Ohio
Without a pick in the third round, the Lions stayed on the defensive side of the ball by selecting Pierre Kemeni, a 6’1, 214 lb defensive back with the Ohio Bobcats. Fun fact, he’s also a cousin of the Lions 2nd round pick Jett Elad.
In a 3DownNation article, Kemeni had some good measurables at his Ohio pro day.
“Kemeni Jr. would have tied for first on the bench press among defensive backs at the 2025 CFL Combine in Regina. He also would have placed sixth in the forty-yard dash.”
“The six-foot-one, 212-pound defender projects as a safety, strong-side linebacker, or weak-side linebacker in the CFL. He played 190 snaps on special teams at Ohio in 2025, which could help his stock as teams look for players who can contribute on special teams in the mid-rounds of the draft.”
5th Round – 45th Overall – Nick Cenacle WR – Hawaii
Nick Cenacle was the highest ranked receiver on central scouting spring rankings, so grabbing him in the 5th round at 45th overall might be a steal for the Lions.
The native of Montreal, Que., spent four years at Hawaii, with his best season coming in 2024 when he led the team in receptions, yardage, and touchdowns. In 44 college games he racked up 122 catches for 1,295 yards and nine touchdowns.
He had a knee injury in his senior year, but that is hopefully behind him. Cenacle was the hero in Hawaii’s Bowl win over California, and his final college game, making a 22-yard winning touchdown grab with ten seconds remaining.
Round 6 – 54th Overall – Ethan Graham OL – Regina
In a draft that was supposed to be the deepest pool of offensive lineman in a long time, the Lions waited until the 6th round to pick one up. 6’7″, 315 lb Ethan Graham enters the Lions den after 32 games with the Regina Rams where he started at tackle in his thid season and was a Canada West All-Star in 2025.
Round 7 – 63rd Overall – Chase Henning LB – UBC
The Lions stayed local in round 7, selecting UBC linebacker Chase Henning.
The 6’2″, 215 lb native of Salmon Arm, BC appeared in 28 games with the Thunderbirds from 2023-25. He has 101 tackles (39 solo and 62 assisted), 3.5 tackles for a loss, a sack and a forced fumble over that time. Henning also played in the 2023 Vanier Cup against Montreal.
Henning was a second-team All-Canadian as a special teams player in 2024 and has the proven straight-line speed to get down the field on kickoff or punt, and that’s where he may project to cut his teeth if he can crack the Lions roster.
Round 8 – 72nd Overall – Ebenezer Dibula DL – Kennesaw State
With their final pick the Lions added 6’3″ 300 lb defenive lineman Ebenezer Dibula, who has been described as a disruptive run stopper.
The Ottawa native played his senior season at Kennesaw State, recording six combined tackles and one pass knockdown across six games. In nine games at Bethune-Cookman as a junior in 2024, Dibula made 35 total tackles and one sack.Â
Next up is the Global Draft on Wednesday. We’ll have a full recap on this week’s Pawdcast when we’ll be joined by J.C. Abbott of the 3DownNation.com. Join us live on Youtube at 7:00pm on Thursday, April 30th.
