Officially, the CFL Draft — or its various forms under different names – has been an annual tradition since 1953, with 72 drafts taking place in that time.
Formats have changed, and today, it’s a nearly unrecognizable event compared to what fans would have experienced less than a decade following the conclusion of the Second World War.
Still, there’s a tremendously interesting history to unpack for the third overall pick over the years, ahead of the Ottawa REDBLACKS adding to that lore on April 29th.
By team
Despite participating in every draft since 2013, the REDBLACKS have never held the third overall selection, and it’s only the sixth time in the event’s history that a franchise from the nation’s capital will make the third selection. The Renegades had it one time in 2004, and the Rough Riders owned it just five times.
Despite a vast football history in the city, Ottawa clubs combine for the second-fewest third-overall draft choices, ahead of only the Montreal Alouettes, who also took a hiatus from the league after folding just a day before the 1987 season.
On the flip side, the BC Lions have used the third pick the most times of anyone in the league with 13, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders are the only other franchise in double digits with 10.
| Team | Number of third-overall picks |
| BC Lions | 13 |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | 10 |
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 9 |
| Calgary Stampeders | 9 |
| Edmonton Elks | 8 |
| Toronto Argonauts | 7 |
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 7 |
| Ottawa REDBLACKS* | 6 |
| Montreal Alouettes | 4 |
*Including the Ottawa Renegades (1) and the Ottawa Roughriders (5).
By Position
For those die-hard fans, it should come as little surprise that the most selected position at third overall is offensive line. On 24 occasions — roughly 33 percent of the time — teams have taken a hoggie to load up their front.
After that, it tends to become a toss-up, with running backs, defensive linemen, and linebackers being the next three most commonly selected positions. Since 2018, only offensive and defensive linemen have been selected third, with the most recent skill position pick being Daniel Vandervoort to the BC Lions in 2017.
Though four quarterbacks have been off the board with the third pick, it hasn’t happened since 1975, when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats selected Gerald Kunyk.
| Position | Number of players |
| QB | 4 |
| RB | 12 |
| FB | 5 |
| WR | 4 |
| TE | 1 |
| OL | 24 |
| DL | 10 |
| LB | 7 |
| DB | 5 |
| K/P | 0 |
By school
Though we’ve seen an increase in the number of players coming to the CFL via the NCAA through the draft, particularly in the early rounds, the Canadian schools still dominate the leaderboards when it comes to the third overall selection.
The University of Ottawa has seen some play over the years, though not since 2004 when the Ottawa Renegades selected David Azzi. Western is well ahead of the pack, using their strong program history to produce many CFLers, while Toronto is on their tail.
Since 2014, however, we haven’t seen a repeat school, with selections coming from a wide variety of programs, including McMaster, Rice, UBC, Saskatchewan, and most recently, Boston College.
| School | Number of players |
| Western | 8 |
| Toronto | 5 |
| Simon Fraser | 4 |
| Ottawa | 4 |
| Queen’s | 3 |
| UBC | 3 |
| McMaster | 3 |
| Calgary | 3 |
Notable names
1958 – Bill Britton, BC Lions
Bill Britton did a little bit of everything back in the day, playing both full back and linebacker during his time with the BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders. He rushed for 505 yards and three touchdowns, while snagging five interceptions and handling return duties.
Britton later became the Stampeders’ President in 1983, before passing away in February of 2017.
1991 – Dan Murphy, Edmonton Elks
Dan Murphy enjoyed a seven-year CFL career, playing for the Edmonton Elks, two stints with the Toronto Argonauts, and spent the 1995 season with the Ottawa Rough Riders. During that time, he nabbed 12 interceptions, and made 178 total tackles in as many games.
1996 – Mike Sutherland, Saskatchewan Roughriders
Mike Sutherland has become a renowned figure in the nation’s capital after a good CFL career, serving as the in-stadium voice of the REDBLACKS. Spending time with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Montreal Alouettes, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and the Ottawa Renegades, Sutherland was an anchor on the offensive line.
2006 – Andy Fantuz, Saskatchewan Roughriders
For 12 seasons, Andy Fantuz was the kind of receiver other teams hated to go up against, hauling in 8,363 yards and 44 touchdowns, splitting time between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. In 2010, he was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian.
2015 – Sean McEwan, Toronto Argonauts
Sean McEwan has been one of the best offensive linemen in the CFL since entering the league in 2015, being named to the All-CFL squad on three different occasions. He has spent his career with the Toronto Argonauts and Calgary Stampeders, but will take his talents to Saskatchewan this upcoming season.
2018 – Peter Godber, BC Lions
Now with the Ottawa REDBLACKS, Peter Godber has put together a nice CFL career, spending time with the BC Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders. The six-foot-four 300-pounder will anchor the middle of the REDBLACKS line in 2025.
2019 – Matthieu Betts, Edmonton Elks
Mathieu Betts might be one of the biggest success stories with the third overall pick, picking up 29 sacks in 52 starts. Currently with the BC Lions, he recently earned a look in the NFL, but returned midway through the 2024 season.
