REDBLACKS taking final steps in CFL Draft preparation

The clock is ticking.

When the CFL Draft gets underway on Tuesday night, the Ottawa REDBLACKS will find themselves on the clock, currently set to make the first-overall selection. It has been a long process of evaluating, seeing both what a player is – and what they can become – on the field, but equally as important is what kind of person they are when they take the pads off.

Until now, it has been a guessing game as to who will be available, and who will play their first professional season elsewhere, but over the weekend, questions were answered at the NFL Draft, and the REDBLACKS front office now has a better idea of the draft’s outlook.

“With the NFL Draft being done and knowing where players are going, we’re zeroing in on who our selection is going to be,” General Manager Shawn Burke revealed. “We’ll reinforce some information we have, and make a decision for Tuesday.”

As days wind down, and now close enough to describe the time between now and the draft as just hours, the decision isn’t done just yet. The final touches are going on to hammer down the priority list, and come to a final decision.

“We’re narrowing it down, and I think we’re very close,” Burke said. “We still have a little bit of work to do.”

Hype surrounds the first-overall pick, but for the scouting crew, the other nine selections they hold are equally as important.

The REDBLACKS hold 10 picks – more than any other team in the league – including three selections in the second round. In the past, late-round gems have made waves in the CFL, including Justin Howell, Ettore Lattanzio, Colton Hunchak, and Jeshrun Antwi all fitting the bill. It’s the chance of unearthing a diamond in the rough that leads the front office to treat every pick the exact same.

“The ability to find guys late is a tribute to the guys who do their jobs right,” Burke said.” You have to take every round with critical eyes, and you’re trying to bring players in who can compete and help you reach your ultimate goal, whether it’s with the first pick, or the 72nd overall pick. You never want to waste a selection.”

Without seeing players slated to go deep into the night at the combine, scouting staffs need to put the leg work in during the season, and get to know players inside and out. Thanks to Director of Canadian Scouting Chad Hudson, who Burke credits with a lot of the in-season work, the REDBLACKS are in a good place to make a splash in the later rounds.

“We’re devoted to our Canadian scouting 365 days of the year, and Hudson deserves a ton of credit for that,” he said. “He gets us to the point where we can hop in later in the process, because we have other roles for many of those days. He has put us in a great spot where we can make a decision collectively.”

Most of his attention has been turned to the draft board, but Burke still has half a mind thinking about possible moves, and isn’t scared to do something big.

“The phone lines are still open,” Burke shared. “We’re not not willing to listen to offers for the first pick, and we’re open to exploring with some of the other picks. That could mean moving up, adding picks for next year, or adding players. At the end of the day, what all of these picks give us is flexibility.”