Dave Dickenson has many choices for the CFL draft on Tuesday night.
The head coach and general manager of Calgary holds four of the first 20 picks, including two in the first round (Nos. 1 and 8). After a 5-12-1 record last season, which marked the first time they missed the playoffs since 2004, the Stampeders have the most selections in the league with a total of 10.
Dickenson wasn’t available for comments on Monday. However, veteran CFL coach and GM Jim Barker believes Calgary should choose receiver Keelan White from Montana, Dickenson’s former college, with their first overall selection.
Calgary Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson walks off the field at halftime during a game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina on October 26, 2024.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu
“He’s clearly the top player available in my opinion,” Barker stated. “Keelan White is a perfect fit for them.”
“He resembles (veteran Stampeders receiver Reggie Begelton) in that he knows how to create separation, is tough, and makes tough catches in traffic. They need someone like him, especially since he’s Canadian.”
The six-foot-two, 184-pound White from North Vancouver, B.C., recorded 57 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns last season. After starting out as a walk-on in 2019, he completed his college career with 161 receptions for 1,862 yards and 14 touchdowns at Montana.
White would address a need for Calgary following the retirement of Cole Tucker. Additionally, third-year receiver Clark Barnes, who missed nine games due to an injury in his rookie year, managed to play in all 16 games last season.
Teams like Hamilton, Ottawa, Saskatchewan, Montreal, Winnipeg, and Toronto will pick before Calgary wraps up the first round at No. 8. The B.C. Lions and Edmonton Elks are set to make their picks in the second round.
A total of 72 players will be drafted over eight rounds.
Dickenson will also kick off the CFL global draft on Tuesday morning, where each team is allowed two picks.
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Barker has won five Grey Cups during his lengthy CFL career as a coach and GM and was named the league’s coach of the year in 2010 while with Toronto. He now serves as a football analyst for TSN.
Dickenson could utilize all four of his picks or choose to trade some, including possibly the first overall selection if a good offer comes along.
At least Dickenson has some clarity after last week’s NFL draft.
Stanford receiver Elic Ayomanor, from Medicine Hat, Alta., and Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke, from Oakville, Ont., were both selected (fourth round by Tennessee and seventh round by San Francisco, respectively).
Wide receiver Elic Ayomanor during Stanford football’s Pro Day event in Stanford, Calif., on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Jeff Chiu
LSU defensive lineman Paris Shand from Toronto and Montana’s Hayden Harris also signed free-agent contracts with Buffalo.
Bills afterwards.
Ayomanor, Rourke, and Shand topped the CFL scouting bureau’s final list of the top 20 draft prospects released on Monday. Meanwhile, Harris, who is from Mill Creek, Wash. but is eligible to play as a Canadian through his mother, ranked No. 9. All of them are likely to be selected as future picks on Tuesday based on their NFL prospects.
Barker noted that there is significant depth in the defensive line for this draft.
“This year, more defensive linemen have a good shot at making teams than in a long time,” he remarked. “Shand and Harris have already signed free-agent deals, which takes away two prospects, but there are plenty more defensive linemen, including interior and edge players, available.”
One standout defensive line prospect is Darien Newell from Queen’s University. Standing six feet three inches and weighing 309 pounds, this Brampton, Ontario native could follow in the footsteps of former Golden Gael, Derek Wiggan, who had a successful stint in Calgary.
Wiggan retired after playing last season with the Montreal Alouettes, having previously spent eight seasons with the Stampeders.
Another mentioned linebacker, Connor Shay from Wyoming, is regarded as a potential first-round pick. He has received rookie camp invites from the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets, but hasn’t signed with an NFL team yet.
Shay is American but qualifies for the CFL draft due to his Canadian father. The six-foot-two-inch, 227-pound linebacker achieved 76 tackles (45 solo, 7.5 for a loss), 1.5 sacks, and an interception across 12 starts last season.
Shay has drawn comparisons to Alex Singleton, another American who played in the CFL (2016-18) and became a Canadian player with Calgary. Singleton was a two-time league all-star and the top defensive player in 2017. He now plays for the Denver Broncos in the NFL.
Another prominent linebacker is Windsor’s Devin Veresuk, who is set to attend the Indianapolis Colts rookie camp. The six-foot-three, 230-pound linebacker from Windsor, Ontario, recorded 160 tackles (14 for a loss), nine sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles while playing for the Lancers.
Barker believes Western safety Jackson Findlay might also be a first-round pick. The six-foot-three, 203-pound athlete from North Vancouver was named a first-team All-Canadian in 2023 and was a finalist for the Presidents’ Trophy in 2024.
Findlay has a family legacy in football, with his great-grandfather, grandfather, uncle, and father all having played in the CFL. He was recognized last year as one of U Sports’ top eight academic All-Canadians and aims to become a pediatric oncologist after his playing career.
“He’s a substantial safety who, in my opinion, fits perfectly for Winnipeg especially after (American) Brandon Alexander’s retirement,” Barker explained. “There aren’t many Canadian safeties out there capable of stopping a veteran runner like William Stanback from making gains because Findlay will be there to hit.”
Leading the quarterback prospects in this draft is Laurier’s Taylor Elgersma, who won the Hec Crighton Trophy in 2024 and was at the Senior Bowl in January. Others in this category include Laval’s Arnaud Desjardins, Montreal’s Jonathan Senecal, McMaster’s Keagan Hall, and Manitoba’s Jackson Tachinski, who also trained this off-season as a receiver.
