WATCH ABOVE: Kevin Karius takes a closer look at the athletes selected by the Eskimos in Tuesday night’s draft.
EDMONTON – Eskimos GM Ed Hervey made it clear on Monday that acquiring offensive linemen was a priority, and the Eskimos stayed true to that in tonight’s CFL Canadian Draft.
The Eskimos took offensive lineman Danny Groulx with the seventh pick in the first round. The 6’6″, 325-pound native of Gatineau, Quebec won a pair of Vanier Cups with Laval.
The 25-year-old was ranked fifth overall by the CFL scouting bureau.
“We feel like he has the size and the athleticism to come in and give us an immediate add,” said head coach Chris Jones.
The team continued to add to the offensive line in the second round.
The Eskimos selected OL David Beard from the University of Alberta. The Sherwood Park native was named a CIS second team All-Canadian in 2014, as well as the Golden Bears lineman of the year in 2013. Beard graduated from Bev Facey High School in Sherwood Park.
Beard says he wasn’t nervous about the draft.
“Fairly low nerves, it was a pretty good day,” said Beard. “The other work has already been done, so it was just enjoying the ride.”
In the third round, the Eskimos picked linebacker Adam Konar from the University of Calgary. Konar’s father Kevin was a lineback for the B.C. Lions from 1980 to 1989.
The team snagged another local product in the fourth round, selecting wide receiver Andrew Johnson. Johnson previously played for the Edmonton Wildcats and McNally Tigers.
Without picks in the fifth and sixth rounds, the Eskimos had to wait until the seventh round to take linebacker Blair Smith from Angelo State University.
The Ottawa Redblacks selected Ottawa native Alex Mateas first overall. The 24-year-old offensive lineman recently attended the New York Jets rookie camp but didn’t sign an NFL contract.
Comments