Tiger-Cats general manager Ed Hervey says the team went into Tuesday’s Canadian Football League draft with some needs on defence.
But when offensive lineman Nate Dumoulin-Duguay was still available when Hamilton’s turn came with the seventh-overall pick — which the GM didn’t expect — it was impossible not to grab him.
“In this league, you don’t pass up on good offensive linemen,” he says. “They’re not sitting at the shopping mall when injuries happen.”
So the six-foot-two, 293-pound Laval University product (who had the fastest 40-yard sprint time among offensive linemen at the CFL combine) is a Ticat. The fact that the team has 12 offensive linemen on its roster — and added another in the seventh round — simply means he will have time to apprentice behind some really good players.
“Look at the great guys who are ahead of him he can work with on the daily,” Hervey says.
He expects this will be a learning year for Dumoulin-Duguay. Though the 24-year-old will likely get some time on the field and eventually start, he believes. Offering talent as well as depth at a crucial position.
That pick made, the Ticats then turned their attention to those defensive needs Hervey mentioned. Addressing them began when they grabbed perhaps the rawest talent in the draft with their second-round pick. That’s when they claimed relative football newcomer Luke Brubacher at No. 16.
The six-foot-six, 245-pound defensive lineman from Wilfrid Laurier only started playing the game three years ago. He, too, was the fastest in the 40 at his position at the combine.
“We want big and fast athletes,” Hervey says. “You get enough of them, you start to build yourself an advantage.”
With their remaining picks they took defensive back Daniel Bell from Mount Allison (Round 4, No. 34), running back Matthew Peterson from Alberta (Round 4, No. 36), University of British Columbia linebacker Ryan Baker (Round 5, No. 43), Alberta defensive back Jonathan Giustini (Round 6, No. 52), offensive lineman John Kourtis from Saskatchewan (Round 7, No. 61) and UBC linebacker Mitchell Townsend (Round 8, No. 70).
Should we read anything into the fact that despite roughly a third of the drafted players attending American universities, all eight of Hamilton’s picks went to Canadian schools?
Nope, Hervey says. They just took the guys who were at the top of their draft board when their turn came.
Earlier in the day, the team selected Australians Nik Constantinou (a punter from Texas A&M) and Thomas Yassmin (a tight end who’s been playing at Utah) in the global draft.
St. Thomas More grad Michael Chris-Ike was selected in the second round (No. 14 overall) by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The running back has been playing at Delaware State.
And McMaster defensive lineman Owen Hubert was also taken by the Bombers with pick No. 73 in the eight round.
The Edmonton Elks selected linebacker Joel Dublanko first overall. Rounding out the top three selections were receiver Nick Mardner to Ottawa and offensive lineman Kyle Hergel to Saskatchewan.
A week from tomorrow, Ticats’ rookie camp opens at McMaster. Three days later, full camp begins.
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