The Saskatchewan Roughriders got the guy they wanted with their third overall pick in the 2023 CFL Draft, in UBC defensive end, Lake Korte-Moore, and that trend continued all the way through the draft, as the Green and White stocked up on quality draft picks through all eight rounds.
Korte-Moore had been on the team’s radar for some time, and was someone they were very impressed with at last year’s East-West Game.
“We thought he was just a dominant player in that game, he looked like he was playing at a different speed. We just see a lot of value in him and what he can bring to us,” said Riders General Manager Jeremy O’Day.
Korte-Moore is equally excited to suit up for his new team.
“It’s an honour and it’s been a dream of mine to get drafted since I was a kid, and now I can’t wait to get to work and get to be in Saskatchewan with the great fan base that they have there. And I told the coaches that I’m undefeated at Mosaic and I want to keep it that way this year,” said Korte-Moore.
For their next pick, Saskatchewan went local, selecting Regina Rams safety, Jaxon Ford.
The Campbell Tartan alum is the grandson of former well-known Rider player and GM Al Ford, and the younger Ford mentioned his grandfather when speaking to the media about being drafted to his hometown team.
“It’s been a dream of mine since I was nine years old, seeing a picture of my grandpa catching a touchdown at the old Mosaic there, I think that’s when it all kind of… when the dream came to reality,” said Ford.
With their third-round selection, the Riders went with linebacker Matt Dean out of York University, he tallied 90 tackles and two interceptions during his four-year collegiate career, and will join a deep linebacker room which already includes the likes of Derrick Moncrief, Larry Dean and Micah Teitz.
Saskatchewan grabbed their first offensive player of the draft in the fourth round, selecting Thomas Bertrand-Hudon from Delaware State University. O’Day had high praise for the back, comparing him to a former Rider legend.
“This would be high praise but he’s kind of like a Neal Hughes back in the day. Hughesy was very dynamic in that he could do pretty much everything, so I don’t want to put a label on him but he’s a similar player to Neal and a guy that can do multiple things,” said O’Day.
In the sixth round the Riders picked Sidy Sow, an offensive guard from Eastern Michigan, before grabbing another O-lineman in the seventh, in Queen’s offensive guard Evan Floren, whom O’Day said the Riders had a high analytics grade on.
“He’s someone that definitely has the athletic ability and the size that could develop into a CFL lineman,” O’Day said.
With their final pick in the eighth round the Riders selected lineman Tavius Robinson from Ole Miss, and formerly of Guelph University.
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