Damien Alford is ready to return to football.
The Calgary Stampeders chose the Utah receiver as the first pick in the CFL draft on Tuesday. Alford expressed that it was thrilling to hear his name called and it felt like a significant relief.
“Now that I’ve been drafted, it’s time to focus on football and prepare for the professional level,” Alford said in a video call. “I’m mostly just happy.”
Originally from Montreal, Alford moved to Utah after spending four years at Syracuse, where he amassed 67 receptions for 1,291 yards and seven touchdowns. He stands out with his impressive height (six feet five inches, 224 pounds) and speed (a 4.46-second time in the 40-yard dash).
Calgary needed a player like Alford after losing Cole Tucker to retirement in the off-season. However, Alford acknowledges that he’ll need some time to adjust to the Canadian style of play.
“I’ve been in the (U.S.) for a while, but I understand the Canadian rules,” Alford mentioned. “I know about the waggle and the larger field.”
“I’ll definitely need to adjust since I’ve mainly played on American fields. During practice, it will just be about shaking off the rust and getting used to the new game.”
This was Calgary’s first overall pick since 2014.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats selected Windsor linebacker Devin Veresuk as the second overall pick. The six-foot-two, 240-pound player from Windsor, Ont., had an impressive record with 160 tackles (14 for loss), nine sacks, an interception, and two forced fumbles while playing with the Lancers.
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The Ottawa Redblacks chose another receiver at No. 3, picking Montana’s Keelan White. The six-foot-two, 190-pound player from North Vancouver, B.C., had 161 receptions for 1,862 yards and 14 touchdowns in his collegiate career, earning the title of ’23 MVP for his school.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders then selected defensive lineman Ali Saad from Bowling Green. The six-foot-three, 280-pound player from Windsor was a two-year starter in college, achieving 35 tackles (14 for loss), nine sacks, and four forced fumbles.
The Montreal Alouettes strengthened their offensive line by bringing in UNLV’s Tiger Shanks. Standing six-foot-five and weighing 325 pounds, Shanks started 51 games over four years and earned first-team All-Mountain West honors twice.
Wyoming linebacker Connor Shay was picked sixth overall by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. At six-foot-one and 227 pounds, Shay recorded 76 tackles (7.5 for loss), 1.5 sacks, and an interception in just one starting season at school.
The Grey Cup-champion Toronto Argonauts used the seventh selection to draft Montreal defensive lineman Jeremiah Ojo. Ojo, measuring six-foot-two and 240 pounds, was a first-team All-Canadian for the past two seasons and ran a 4.59-second 40-yard dash at the CFL combine.
Calgary completed the first round by selecting UConn offensive lineman Christopher Fortin. The six-foot-five, 300-pound athlete from St-Rene, Que., was primarily a one-year starter in college, but participated in 41 games overall.
Both the Edmonton Elks and B.C. Lions made their initial picks in the second round.
Edmonton selected Darien Newell, a defensive lineman from Queen’s, with the 10th overall pick. Standing at six feet two inches and weighing 289 pounds, Newell hails from Brampton, Ontario, and has consistently been an All-Canadian performer. He recorded 92 tackles (56 solo, 27.5 for a loss), 17 sacks, and forced a fumble.
However, Edmonton may have to wait to see Newell in action due to an upcoming hearing related to a positive doping test, which could affect his availability for the ’25 season.
B.C. selected Montana defensive lineman Hayden Harris with their next pick. Harris, measuring six feet five inches and weighing 257 pounds, posted impressive stats with 84 tackles (21.5 for a loss), 11.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, and an interception in the last two seasons. He has also signed with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent after last weekend’s NFL draft.
The Lions moved up three spots to pick No. 16 through a trade with Toronto and chose Jackson Findlay, a defensive back from Western. Standing at six feet three inches and weighing 203 pounds, Findlay earned first-team All-Canadian honors and was a finalist for the Presidents’ Trophy. He accumulated 182 tackles (6.5 for a loss), eight interceptions, four sacks, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery while with the Mustangs.
Laurier’s Taylor Elgersma was the first quarterback picked, taken by Winnipeg at No. 18. Elgersma, 6’5″ and weighing 227 pounds, was last year’s Hec Crighton Trophy winner and led the Golden Hawks to the Vanier Cup. In January, he became the first U Sports quarterback invited to the Senior Bowl.
Using one of the picks obtained from B.C., the Argos wrapped up the second round by selecting LSU’s defensive lineman Paris Shand at No. 19. Shand, who is six feet four inches tall and weighs 268 pounds, played in a total of 49 games at Arizona and LSU, where he notched 82 tackles (15 for a loss), nine sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. He too signed with Buffalo as an undrafted free agent.
In the third round, Saskatchewan chose Kurtis Rourke from Indiana at No. 25. Rourke is the younger brother of B.C. star Nathan Rourke and, despite playing all season with a torn ACL, threw for 3,042 yards and 29 touchdowns against five interceptions, leading the Hoosiers to an 11-2 record and a spot in the College Football Playoffs.
Rourke was selected in the seventh round of the NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
In the seventh round, Montreal picked Jonathan Senecal, the ’23 Hec Crighton Trophy winner. Senecal passed for 2,320 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions last year while also rushing for 278 yards and scoring three touchdowns.
