The Hamilton Tiger-Cats added some Canadian depth to the offensive line with their opening round pick in Tuesday night’s Canadian Football League draft.
Hamilton selected Dayton Black from the University of Saskatchewan with the sixth overall pick.
The 23-year-old native of Brandon, Manitoba began his university career as a defensive lineman before moving to offence in 2012.
The six-foot-six-inch, 295-pound Smith played 30 games between 2018 and 2022 with the Huskies, including in the Vanier Cup championship the 2021 and 2022 in which Saskatchewan lost against Western and Laval, respectively.
Ottawa opened the draft by selecting Fresno State offensive lineman Dontae Bull, one of only three offensive players that were taken in round 1.
Check out the CFL Draft tracker here.
Hamilton focused primarily on the defensive side of the ball for the remainder of the draft.
4th round, 29th overall: Wilfred Laurier University defensive back Patrick Burke Jr. Recorded 55 tackles, four interceptions, five pass knockdowns, and one forced fumble with the Golden Hawks. The Etobicoke, Ontario, native was named a second team OUA All-Star in 2022.
4th round, 31st overall: Mount Allison University defensive lineman Reece Martin. Registered 67.5 tackles, 12.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and six pass breakups with the Mounties. The native of Moncton, New Brunswick, was named a first-team All-Canadian, Mount Allison’s Male Athlete of the Year, and was nominated for the J. P. Metras Trophy, which is awarded annually to the best down lineman in U Sports.
5th round, 40th overall: Western University defensive back Robert Panabaker. Recorded 88 tackles, one sack, seven interceptions, 21 passes defended, two forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries. The native of London, Ontario, won the Vanier Cup in 2021 and Yates Cup in 2022 with the Mustangs.
8th round, 64th overall: University of Calgary defensive lineman Josh Hyer. Made 49 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, three passes defended and one fumble recovery. The native of Vernon, B.C. won the 2019 Vanier Cup with the Dinos.
8th round, 67th overall: University of Saskatchewan receiver Caleb Morin. Registered 61 receptions for 900 yards, one touchdown, and seven punt returns for 49 yards. The native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, won three Hardy Trophies with the Huskies in 2018, 2021, and 2022.
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