Laval Rouge et Or'squarterback Benoit Groulx runs away from Queen's Golden Gaels Jonathan Widgett, Osie Ukwuoma and Shomari Williams during second half Mitchell Bowl action Saturday Nov. 21, 2009, in Kingston, Ont. Queen's won 33-30.Ian MacAlpine/The Canadian Press
The Saskatchewan Roughriders dealt for the first pick of the CFL Canadian college draft then used it to take Queen's linebacker Shomari Williams on Sunday.
Saskatchewan was scheduled to pick second and fourth overall but prior to the draft dealt those picks and veteran punter Jamie Boreham to Toronto for the No. 1 and No. 8 selections.
With that deal in place, the Riders kicked off the draft by taking the six-foot-two, 236-pound Williams, who was the top-ranked prospect by the CFL's amateur scouting bureau.
Williams, who spent the first three years of his university career with the Houston Cougars, enrolled at Queen's and helped lead the Golden Gaels to a Vanier Cup title.
Williams offers the Riders solid value, being able to come in and contribute immediately on special teams while being groomed to become a future starter. Williams is also a versatile player, being able to play both linebacker as well as come off the edge as a rush end.
Riders' GM Brendan Taman said Williams fills a definite need for the club.
"We had a need at defensive end," Taman said. "Shomari, character-wise and ability-wise, was the guy we needed and we made the trade to get."
At No. 2, the Argos took Joe Eppele, a hulking six-foot-eight, 309-pound offensive lineman from Washington State. Eppele finished the season ranked fifth by the CFL's amateur scouting bureau but was the top available lineman as No. 2-ranked guard John Bender of Nevada and No. 4-ranked tackle Danny Watkins of Baylor are both returning to school this fall.
"I've known since Friday but it's still surreal," Eppele said.
Toronto and B.C. then swapped the third and fourth selections, allowing the Argos to then select Concordia linebacker Cory Greenwood. The six-foot-two, 219-pound Greenwood has the combination of great athleticism and speed to play special-teams as he learns the nuances of pro football from Toronto stalwarts Kevin Eiben and Willie Pile.
Toronto and B.C. then swapped the third and fourth selections, allowing the Argos to then select Concordia linebacker Cory Greenwood, Canadian university football's top defensive player last year. The six-foot-two, 219-pound Greenwood has the combination of great athleticism and speed to play special-teams as he learns the nuances of pro football from Toronto stalwarts Kevin Eiben and Willie Pile.
Argos head coach Jim Barker said making the deal with Saskatchewan allowed Toronto, which posted a league-worst 3-15 record last year, to deal with multiple needs.
"We felt we had a couple things we needed to address," he said. "With this deal, it allowed us to do with more than one issue."
At No. 4, the Lions looked to the future by taking Watkins, who is regarded as a terrific CFL prospect. Problem is, it might be a while before Watkins heads to B.C. because he's also regarded as having NFL potential.
The Calgary Stampeders raised eyebrows somewhat at No. 5 with the selection of Guelph punter-kicker Rob Maver. The pick came after the Stamps signed Warren Keane, the second pick of the '07 draft by Edmonton, last week but Maver's versatility - he can punt, kick and kick off - made him a very attractive prospect.
"I feel I am a complete guy," Maver said.
The Edmonton Eskimos, who came into the draft without a first-round selection, moved up to No. 6 by dealing the No. 9 and No. 22 picks to Winnipeg for the Bombers' opening-round pick. With that, Edmonton also looked to the future by selecting defensive end Brian Bulcke of Stanford, who is returning to school this fall.
And with the final selection of the opening round, the Montreal Alouettes also looked to the future by taking Concordia offensive lineman Kristian Matte. Following the NFL draft Matte signed a free-agent deal with the Houston Texans but the defending Grey Cup champions can afford the wait.
Hamilton didn't have a first-round pick after taking offensive lineman Zac Carlson in last year's supplemental draft.