The Calgary Stampeders 2016 CFL draft resulted in seven picks in eight rounds. The Stampeders had some huge holes to fill on their defensive and receiving rosters after a tumultuous off-season filled with departures and retirements. How did the Stamps do?
1st Round, 6th Overall: LB Alex Singleton (Montana State)
2nd Round, 15th Overall: WR Juwan Brescacin (Northern Illinois)
4th Round, 33rd Overall: OT Roman Grozman (Concordia)
5th Round, 38th Overall: DB Jean-Phillipe Bolduc (Laval)
5th Round, 42nd Overall: LB Pierre-Luc Caron (Laval)
6th Round, 51st Overall: DL Michael Kashak (McMaster)
8th Round, 68th Overall: DL Quinn Horton (Simon Fraser)
Calgary Stampeders 2016 Draft Grade: 8/10
Calgary Stampeders 2016 CFL Draft Review
The Best Player
Most fans expected the Stampeders to choose some bulk to their offensive and defensive lines in their first two picks. But their second round pick, and best pick, was Juwan Brescacin, a Northern Illinois product. Brescacin possesses everything that quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell wants in a receiver; he’s tall and he’s fast. In fact, after acquiring Brescacin, Mitchell took to social media and tweeted, “Muhahahahahaha Weapons!”
The Stamps needed someone of Brescacin’s size and speed in their receiving roster after losing Eric Rogers and Jeff Fuller to the NFL. Mitchell has always relied on having a few good men, or weapons as he puts it, to choose from. This was a good choice for the Stampeders.
The Surprise
Choosing linebacker Alex Singleton in the first round was a very good and safe pick, but a surprise pick nonetheless. Most thought that the Stamps would choose an offensive lineman in the first round. Singleton was on the Stamps’ radar as flexible player, one who can slot into a couple different positions. Singleton will also provide much-needed depth in special teams. In his final years at Montana state, Singleton showed his athleticism by making over 30 tackles and four interceptions.
The Head-Scratcher
Not choosing a back-up running back for Jerome Messam came as a bit of a shock, and to be honest, resulted in a few sideways glances. The Stampeder “next man up” mentality makes a backup a natural choice. However, the Stamps had immediate needs to fill first. Mercer Timmis, picked 14th by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, would have been a great addition, but he was snapped up too quickly to fill the need for the Stampeders. Perhaps the Stamps have someone else in mind as training camp approaches.
The Rest
Calgary made some great picks in later rounds that will beef up their depleted defensive positions. Adding Canadian University products Bolduc, Kashak, and Horton makes perfect sense after losing veterans Juwan Simpson, Keon Raymond and Freddie Bishop III in the off-season. Grozman at offensive tackle and Caron at linebacker will give the Stamps the needed depth at those positions, and the Stamps also gain a needed long-snapper.
The Bottom Line
Scott Mitchell from the Calgary Sun summed it up nicely: “It may not be the sexiest draft in the world…” Agreed that it wasn’t sexy, but the Stampeders did fill the positions that they needed most. They added depth to their special teams, acquired some strong Canadian content on defence, and gave Mitchell another weapon at wide receiver that was needed and wanted. Overall, a good draft and a safe one, just the way the Calgary Stampeders like it.
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