WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will have a total of eight picks in Tuesday’s CFL Draft but they don’t have a first round selection.
The Blue Bombers gave up their first round draft pick last year when they selected Garrett Waggoner in the CFL’s supplemental draft. The Bombers first pick is at ninth overall but they’ll make selections in back to back slots after they acquired the Edmonton Eskimos second round pick in the trade for offensive lineman Chris Greaves.
“When you look at the board, we’re going to get two good football players,” Bombers General Manager Kyle Walters said. “I just don’t know what positions.”
There’s always an opportunity to move up through a trade but there’s been no takers so far according to Walters.
“We’ve had nothing serious on paper other than just casual conversations at this point and absolutely nothing remotely close to a trade,” Walters said.
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In past years the Bombers had a glaring need to upgrade their offensive line. But after using their first round selections on Matthias Goossen and Sukh Chungh the past two drafts, the Bombers might instead opt to take the best player available regardless of position.
“It’s a strong group of offensive lineman,” said Walters. “Do I think one or two will fall to nine or ten ? I can’t predict that. You never know what teams are going to have. I can assure you it’s a little bit different mindset this year heading in where we’re further along than in years past with our overall Canadian depth. I stood up here the last couple years and said we pretty much have to draft an offensive lineman because we need them to play. We’re not at that case this year.”
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The CFL Draft is always a bit of an unknown with some draft eligible players looking for work in the NFL first. But a team will take a gamble on a player like the Manitoba Bisons David Onyemata, who is the top ranked prospect even though he may never play a down in the CFL.
“David will get drafted,” Walters said.
“David will be given every opportunity to make the New Orleans Saints being a draft pick. Now it’s not are you going to see him in September, are you going to see him in three years or four years or ever which is going to make him probably a later pick than some of those. But someone will take him.”
The CFL Draft is on Tuesday starting at 6 p.m. central time.
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