The Edmonton Eskimos selected a big wide receiver in the first round of the Canadian Football League Draft on Sunday afternoon, as the team’s new general manager took advantage of his first opportunity to begin sculpting the football team into his own.
The 2017 CFL Draft is Brock Sunderland’s first as a general manager in the league and one where he makes the final decision.
With the fifth overall pick, he selected Carleton Ravens receiver Nate Behar, a player who Sunderland said he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get.
“It was more eggshells waiting to see if he would be available,” Sunderland said. “We knew who we wanted… we were targeting him from the moment we finalized our draft board.
“The only nerves were, ‘Is he going to be there?'”
READ MORE: 2017 CFL Draft: What Edmonton Eskimos might do with 5th overall pick on Sunday
During four seasons with the Ravens, Behar recorded 2,577 yards receiving and scored 21 touchdowns. He also led the Ravens in receiving yards in each of his final three seasons.
Sunderland worked for the Montreal Alouettes as a scout and as the director of Canadian Scouting from 2004 to 2007. He was the assistant general manager for the Ottawa Redblacks from 2013 to 2017 before moving to Edmonton last month.
READ MORE: Brock Sunderland unveiled as new GM and VP of Football Operations for Edmonton Eskimos
To see all the Eskimos’ selections from the 2017 draft, click here.
-with files from 630 CHED’s Dave Campbell