The top end of Thursday’s CFL draft has just gotten a little more interesting for the Edmonton Eskimos.
Eskimos vice president of football and general manger Brock Sunderland engineered another trade with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Wednesday afternoon. The Eskimos have given up their first round pick – 6th overall – and a 5th round selection for Hamilton’s 2nd and 3rd round picks – 10th and 20th overall.
The Eskimos still have eight picks in the draft, but now have two picks in the top 20 instead of just their 6th overall choice.
Originally Sunderland traded away the Eskimos’ second and third round picks in two deals with Hamilton and the Toronto Argonauts.
The second rounder, 15th overall was used to acquire John Chick, who played played 8 games for the Eskimos in 2017 and then surprised many by announcing his retirement. The Eskimos also secured an extra fifth round pick, 37 overall in that deal. That was returned to the Ti-Cats in Wednesday’s trade.
After the season ended, the Eskimos general manager sent free-agent-to-be quarterback James Franklin to Toronto with a 3rd round pick, 24th overall, for offensive lineman Mason Woods drafted 10th overall in 2017.
As it stands now in the fourth round with the 32nd pick, the Eskimos will be back on the clock but expect Sunderland to be looking to make a deal to get more picks in the top 30.
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Is he interested in the first overall pick? Well, it might be available.
Montreal has that first pick to start things off Thursday by virtue of their 3-15 record last season. Alouettes general manager Kavis Reed has narrowed down who he wants if he uses the that pick but has not ruled out making a trade
“We have had some enquirers about the pick” said Reed who would like that player to be a contributor at some point in the season.
“We are not going to move back just for the sake of moving back, we are open to whatever is going to give the Montreal Alouettes a better roster”
630 CHED Inside Sports with Reid Wilkins will broadcast live from the Eskimos draft office on Thursday between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Looking back at the 2017 Draft Class
Last year, Sunderland’s first as a general manager with the Eskimos, he hit close to a home run in the draft, and if offensive lineman Justin Senior, currently in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks, ever comes north it will be a grand slam homer.
Six of eight players drafted stayed with the team, playing a total of 67 games with 10 starts.
Nate Behar was the first pick and after missing training camp in a contract dispute, he signed at the start of the regular season and played in 12 games. Behar, a receiver, had next to no time on offence but was a contributor on special teams and is poised to get more action on offence in 2018.
Fifth round pick, defensive end Kwaku Boateng may be the steal of the draft. He started once, but played in all 18 games registering four sacks and 21 tackles on his way to being named the Eskimos most outstanding rookie. Boateng is penciled in as a starter for 2018.
Other 2017 picks that made contributions were linebacker Chistophe Mulumba-Tshimanga, who played all 18 games and started nine, defensive back Jordan Hoover, who played in 17 games and offensive lineman JS Roy, who played in two games before his season ended due to a knee injury.
Offensive lineman Kwabena Asare made the team, spending the season on the practice roster and, after a strong camp, defensive lineman Mark Mackie went back to school and played for McMaster and then re-signed with the Eskimos in the off season.
Throw in offensive lineman Mason Woods – taken 10th overall by Toronto and acquired by the Eskimos via trade – and the 2017 draft may be one of the strongest ever for the Eskimos.
2018 CFL Draft Order round one
1 – Montreal
2 – Hamilton
3 – B.C.
4 – Ottawa
5 – Saskatchewan
6 – Hamilton from Edmonton
7 – B.C. from Winnipeg
8 – Calgary
9 – Toronto
Eskimos draft picks in 2018
Round 1 – Traded to Hamilton
Round 2 – 10th overall acquired from Hamilton
Round 3 – 20th overall acquired from Hamilton
Round 4 – 32nd overall
Round 5 – 40th overall
Round 6 – 48th overall
Round 7 – 53rd overall – from Hamilton for Shamawd Chambers, will pick again 57th overall
Round 8 – 65th overall
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