2015 CFL Draft Archives | BC Lions Football

Recap: BC Lions beat to their own drum in CFL Draft

May 13, 2015 By Brian Wawryshyn

Round 1

Ese Mrabure-Ajufo – 1ST Pick – 5th Overall – Wilfred Laurier – Defensive Line

Remember my pre-draft post calling the CFL Draft one of the biggest crapshoots in sports? The Lions proved it with their first pick (5th overall). Defensive lineman Ese Mrabure-Ajufo of Wilfred Laurier was the name submitted by the Lions, much to the shock of many not only on TSN, but on social media. None of my coveted potential Lions were selected by the club on this day and in the end the Lions drafted to the beat to their own drum.

Not many thought the Lions would pass on adding one of the high quality offensive linemen in the draft, but the ones they wanted were gone, and as such the Lions turned their attention to the other side of the trenches, drafting Mrabure-Ajufo. Even ahead of the higher ranked Daryl Waud.

Wally Buono and his staff like the potential they see in the Wilfred Laurier product, but it was somewhat puzzling they took him so early, when they likely could have picked him up in a later round. There is no questioning that depth on the defensive line needed to be addressed and Buono likes the young man’s pass rushing skills.

Buono says he watched game tape on Mrabure-Ajufo prior to combine. “At times, he showed some great pass rush skills.” #BCLions

— Cam Tucker (@CamTucker_Metro) May 13, 2015

#BCLions Wally Buono lauded Mrabure-Ajufo’s athletic ability. Says he can play inside on second down and can contribute on special teams.

— Cam Tucker (@CamTucker_Metro) May 13, 2015

The former Laurier Golden Hawk recorded 25.5 tackles, 5.5 sacks and a fumble recovery last season and recorded the third fastest time of all defensive linemen at the CFL combine.

Mrabure-Ajufo will be a project and the Lions will work with him. He may turn out to be one of those steals of the draft one day, but there will be a lot of fans keeping track of the likes of Danny Groulx (Edmonton) and Jacob Ruby (Montreal) in the meantime.

Prospects: The Lions need defensive line depth from Canadian players so expect this project player to be given a serious look at training camp. He will cut his teeth on special teams while Lions coaches work with the finer points of his game.

Round 2

Brett Boyko – 14th Overall – UNLV – Offensive Line

Does the name Danny Watkins ring a bell? Brett Boyko is currently under contract to the Philadelphia Eagles (coincidently, so was Watkins), so the Lions and their fans will have to hope that the big man finds his way to the CFL one day. If he does the Lions got the best offensive lineman in the draft. If he doesn’t, the pick will be questioned like the Watkins one was and the pick of Oshiomogho Atogwe before him.

The Lions will likely have to wait a season or two to find out if their gamble paid off. But imagine Boyko and Hunter Steward as bookend Canadian tackles, and you can see where the Lions are going with this.

Boyko is described as having great football intelligence and can read defences extremely well. One knock on him from NFL scouting reports is a lack of foot quickness.

Prospects: He has an NFL contract, so he likely won’t be here anytime soon. The best the Lions can hope for is they get to see him in a year or two, but if they do, they got a beauty.

Round 3

Shaquille Murray-Lawrence – 23rd Overall – UNLV – Running Back

Duane Forde of TSN was fairly surprised the Lions took Boyko with their second pick and passed on picking up RB Shaquille Murray-Lawrence in that spot.

Described as an explosive, lightning quick back, Murray-Lawrence came highly recommended by Lions regional scout and Buono confidante Roy Shivers. He gives the Lions a nice depth option behind Andrew Harris, something the Lions have been lacking in recent years.

Forde had this to say about Murray-Lawrence, who he ranked as the 2nd best back in the draft behind Tyler Varga who was drafted by Calgary:

Possesses the speed to regularly break contain but he is equally effective running between the tackles…also a willing pass blocker.

Prospects: The Lions have been looking for a backup to Andrew Harris so expect Murray-Lawrence to compete in camp, perhaps trying his hand at kick returns while getting some reps behind Harris to try to get himself onto the roster.

Round 4

Adrian Clarke – 32nd Overall – LB – Bishops

Likely drafted as a special teams player, LB Adrian Clarke certainly won’t be pushing Solomon Elimimian or Adam Bighill for their jobs anytime soon. The 3rd ranked linebacker in the draft by Duane Forde’s rankings, Clarke is described as somewhat inconsistent with the physical aspect of his game, but he makes up for that with strong athleticism which should make him a candidate for teams.

Prospects: Will have to make the roster on special teams. Will compete with the likes of Jason Arakgi, Casey Chin and Boseko Lokombo so he will have his work cut out for him.

Round 5

Campbell Allison – 41st Overall – OL – Eastern Michigan

At 6’6″ and anywhere between 315 and 340 pounds depending on what report you read, Campbell Allison is a big body. He’s listed as a guard but also played some tackle at Eastern Michigan.

One thing to be wary of is this nugget from Justin Dunk:

Flat out, Allison came to the National CFL Combine looking very out of shape. Poor results in the testing portion of the event followed by a sub par showing in the one-on-one session caused his stock to fall.

Not exactly what you want to hear as a Lions fan, so it sounds like Campbell will be somewhat of a project for the Lions and new offensive line coach Doug Malone.

Prospects: If he shows up in Kamloops as he did in the combine, he won’t be there long. But his size and potential are likely what the Lions would like to take a look at and see if they can work on the fitness levels with strength and conditioning coach Chris Boyko.

Christian Covington – 43rd Overall (Via Hamilton) – DL – Rice

Not content with the risk they took drafting Boyko, the Lions also took a flyer drafting home product Christian Covington, son of former CFL great and Hall of Famer Grover. Covington also has an NFL deal, and was the only player drafted in this year’s NFL draft from Canada, by the Houston Texans. Widely regarded as the best player in the draft, taking him where they did the Lions will either get the best defensive player in the draft, or they will never see him.

Covington’s NFL scouting report says.

“He has a short, squatty build with a low center of gravity and long arms. Possesses good initial quickness off the snap to split gaps and has active hands. Locates the football quickly, showing the awareness to blow up misdirection draws and screens and get his hands up in passing lanes. Too powerful for offensive linemen at this level. Frequently was able to drive through them and into the backfield when single-blocked. Good leg drive and core strength.”

It also addresses his weaknesses:

“Only average size for the NFL and his frame appears to be maxed out. Does not possess ideal balance. Too often is knocked to the turf on cut-blocks. Lacks the speed to offer much in pursuit to the perimeter or downfield. Questionable level of competition. Requires a thorough medical check. Missed half of 2014 with a knee injury that ultimately required season-ending surgery and played with a big cast over his right arm in 2013 to protect a thumb injury.”

Prospects: Regardless, his talent was enough to get him drafted in the NFL, and the Lions will be lucky to see him anytime soon. But if they end up with Boyko and Covington one day, you will look back on this draft as a huge success. The pick was the one obtained from Hamilton for SJ Haidara. If Covington does play for the Lions, you would have to think that’s a pretty good deal.

Round 6

Joshua Brinkworth – 49th Overall – DB – Pacific

The Lions add to their Canadian depth in the secondary and draft Joshua Brinkworth out of Pacific. As you can see by his highlight video on Hudl, he likes to hit.

Prospects: Brinkworth has played some safety, and will no doubt get a look there in rookie camp. If the Lions like what they see, they’ll see what he can do against the vets, possibly competing with Chris Rwabukamba for that coveted national roster spot the Lions would love to fill. Edit: Lowell Ullrich has posted that the Lions will soon be announcing the release of Matt McGarva.

Round 7

Maxx Forde – 58th Overall – DE – University of Idaho

The second Forde in his family to be a BC Lions, Maxx Forde is the son of former Lion Brian Forde who played two seasons in BC in 1994 and 1996 before playing a season in Monteal.

Forde was given a rookie camp invite by the Chicago Bears but left without a contract. Another option for depth on the defensive line, Forde was ranked third (ahead of the Lions first pick Mrabure-Ajofu) by draft guru Duane Forde (no relation) who praises his athleticism and upside.

Forde has some solid potential, and could be a sleeper pick if he can take his game to the next level as a pro.

Prospects: Forde will hope to impress enough to stick around on special teams while he works on his craft to eventually see time on a defensive line that loves to rotate players in and out.

CFL Draft: Five players we would like to see pull on the orange and black.

May 12, 2015 By Brian Wawryshyn

The CFL Draft is one of the biggest crap shoots in all of sports and it’s also one of the biggest factors in building a winning team. The BC Lions have 8 picks to utilize in the 7 round draft picking 5th in each round, with an extra pick obtained in the deal with Hamilton for S.J. Haidara last week.

What players will be available to the Lions when they pick in the five-spot remains to be seen. Most people putting out mock drafts expect an early run on offensive linemen, which is one of the Lions more pressing needs.

That said, there could be some other nice options available if that happens and Wally Buono continually preaches the method of drafting the best football player available and not drafting for position.

With an extra pick in the draft, the Lions could possibly try to move up in the first round as well and talk on social media Monday suggested that there was plenty of talking going on between CFL General Managers.

Rather than try to predict who will be taken ahead of their fifth pick in the first round, let’s take a look at some of the players we would like to see pull on the orange and black tomorrow evening and why.

Sean McEwen – OL – University of Calgary

“Sean is maybe the most talented offensive lineman I had during my tenure at Calgary.” – Former Calgary Dinos and current UBC Head Coach, Blake Nill.

That’s pretty high praise from one of the most successful CIS coaches around. Sean McEwen sounds like the perfect pick for the BC Lions.

Since the retirement of Angus Reid, the Lions have struggled to get a consistent performance at centre and are said to be considering replacing Matt Norman in that spot for 2015. They re-signed OL Cameron Thorn this off-season and will look at him as an option, but obtaining the services of McEwen could set them up for Jamie Taras or Angus Reid type stability at the position for years.

McEwen is pegged as a “pro-ready” prospect, and if he is there at five, I would be shocked if the Lions didn’t snap him up. But Monday, a wrench was thrown into the mix:

U of Cgy C Sean McEwen letting #CFL teams know he’s undecided about playing in CFL this season. Wants to finish degree. Projected 1st rounder

— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) May 11, 2015

Will that news scare some teams off? It might, but the Lions were in a similar position the year they drafted Norman, who left the team a few games into the season to go and finish his degree. If the Lions really think McEwen is the player they want, I would expect they would welcome a similar arrangement.

The fact that McEwen played with current Lion Kirby Fabien on the Dinos is a bonus too, as the two players would have a strong built-in understanding of each other. Cohesiveness is a huge part of any successful offensive line.

Chris Ackie – DB – Wilfred Laurier

Chris Ackie impressed many at the CFL Combine and is described as a player that can play anywhere on the field. Like centre, the Lions have been searching for an answer at safety since Barron Miles retired. J.R. LaRose will not be back in 2015 and the Lions signed Chris Rwakuwamba as a free agent this off-season. Matt McGarva returns from a second knee surgery to try to stake claim to the position as well. Ackie could be the one they’ve been looking for.

Offensive line is an important need, but Ackie’s talent is undeniable, and may be too good for the Lions to pass up if he’s there and the offensive lineman they wanted is gone.

Jacob Ruby – OL – Richmond

At 6-7 and 315 pounds, Jacob Ruby has the size to be a tackle. Canadian starting tackles are gold in the CFL, a position that is often filled by internationals. The Lions depth chart will likely have Jovan Olafioye and Hunter Steward as the bookends when camp starts. Steward fared pretty well in a limited audition last season before he broke his leg. Olafioye is one of the league’s best. But Ruby would provide solid depth behind Steward, and give the Lions the option to move either of them inside if needed.

Sukh Chungh – OL – University of Calgary

Chungh could be an interesting option for the Lions on a few fronts. One he’s a physical guard who could really help the interior of the offensive line. Two, he’s a BC boy of Indo-Canadian decent, he could be a great role model in many communities across the lower mainland. But Wally Buono cares about the football player first, and if he were to land Chungh it would be a solid pick.

As with McEwen, Chungh played with Fabien in Calgary, but the two are both guards. Could they utilize both of them in the middle of the line? There is some thought the Lions might try to convert him to centre if they were to draft him.

The Lions offensive line has lacked some physicality since Rob Murphy and Jason Jiminez departed and drafting the physically gifted Chungh would address some of that need.

Lamar Durant – WR – SFU

The Lions are pretty deep at Canadian receiver, but they could be tempted to take Lemar Durant who may be the most pro-ready offensive player in the draft. Last season he was hampered by mononucleosis which limited his numbers, and Durant hasn’t played much on special teams during his college career which is where he would likely have to cut his teeth with the Lions.

Still, his talent is undeniable, he’s a home town boy, and he would be a welcome addition to an already deep group of Canadian receivers. There were games when he was a man playing among boys at the CIS level. He possesses good speed and great size, and loves to battle for the football in the air.

Who the Lions end up with is anyones guess, but if they were to land any one of these five players with their first pick, they would be doing alright.

The BC Lions Den Pawdcast – Episode 49

May 4, 2015 By Brian Wawryshyn

Episode 49 catches up with BC Lions news two weeks out from the CFL Draft. The Lions recently completed a three day “passing camp” and preliminary reports have Travis Lulay looking and feeling pretty good.

Jim Mullin of Krown Canada West Football joins Brian and Mojo to talk about the draft, and who might be a good fit for the BC Lions. We also talk to Jim about former BC Lions assistant Kelly Bate’s new post at SFU and we touch on the current state of the CIS the future of the Northern 8 series, and better television coverage for Canadian college games.

Last but certainly not least, 3DownNation founder and Ticats writer for the Hamilton Spectator and 3Down’s The Scratching Post joins us to help announce our move to 3DownNation.com and give us an update on the off-season of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Follow our guests on Twitter:

Jim Mullin: @Jim_Mullin

Drew Edwards – @Scratchingpost

Subscribe to the BC Lions Den Pawdcast on iTunes.

Lions would do well to add to O-line depth in the draft.

April 24, 2015 By Brian Wawryshyn

To win in the CFL, Canadian depth on the offensive line is a must. You only need to look at the reigning Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders to see the impact a solid line can have on a team. The Stamps have not only regularly plucked solid offensive linemen from the draft, but guys that can often step right into their lineup and contribute, like Brett Jones (now in NFL), Brander Craighead, Dan Federkeil and Billy Peach.

Jovan Olafioye Dean Valli Cameron Thorn — The Lions must get better results from their offensive line in 2015: Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

The Lions offensive line have had their issues the last few seasons, in large part because of the revolving door that’s been spinning because of injuries. But they do have some solid national talent to work with; Kirby Fabien is another season removed from his horrific knee injury, while Hunter Steward showed great promise in his limited action last season. Both have outstanding potential and if they can stay healthy it would be a huge boost to the line and for their continued development.

The Lions might not be satisfied with Matt Norman at centre, and could audition Cameron Thorn for the position at training camp, possibly shifting Norman to a guard spot.

BC are fairly well set at the tackle position, with the traditionally solid Jovan Olafioye and 2014 addition Jermarcus Hardrick, but the interior of the O-line is what they need to shore up with Canadian depth.

T-Dre Player, Cody Husband and veteran Dean Valli round out the group heading into training camp, who will have a fresh face as new offensive line coach Doug Malone comes in from Saskatchewan replacing long time predecessor Dan Dorazio.

The Lions haven’t brought any offensive linemen so far this off-season, so I would be shocked if they didn’t select one with their first pick (5^th overall).

National Holdovers from 2014:

No.	Name	P	Status	Height	WT	Born	School
50	Fabien, Kirby	G	National	6.06	295	1990-09-07	Calgary
54	Valli, Dean	G	National	6.05	300	1983-10-05	Simon Fraser
58	Thorn, Cameron	G	National	6.05	290	1990-04-16	Guelph
59	Norman, Matthew	C	National	6.03	317	1988-06-20	Western
62	Husband, Cody	G	National	6.07	307	1988-03-19	UBC
67	Steward, Hunter	G	National	6.06	315	1991-12-23	Liberty
68	Player, T-Dre	G	National	6.06	275	1992-92-04	Northwestern State

Given the Lions have the fifth overall pick, they should be in line to get one of the six top ranked offensive linemen in the draft, if they decide to go that route with the pick.

Top ranked National offensive linemen (final CFL Scouting Bureau Rankings):

Rank	Name	P	School
2	Boyko, Brett	OL	UNLV
3	Mateas, Alex	OL	UCONN
5	Groulx, Danny	OL	Laval
6	Chungh, Sukh	OL	Calgary
10	McEwen, Sean	OL	Calgary
13	Ruby, Jacob	OL	Richmond

Protecting Travis Lulay or potentially an inexperienced replacement is going to be paramount for the Lions if they hope to compete in a tough Western Division, never mind an improved Eastern side. They also need to inject life into a running game that hasn’t been as productive as it should be the last couple of seasons, even with one of the best in the game, Andrew Harris, in the lineup.

The draft aside, expect some new bodies from south of the border to be brought in prior to the start of training camp as well.

If history has proven anything, Wally Buono will draft the “best player available” with the 5^th pick. But the Lions would do well to come away from this draft with a blue chip hoggie to add to the Den.

Follow Brian Wawryshyn on Twitter: @BCLionsDen