2014 CFL combine sees plenty of regional combine players improve their stock

The 2014 national CFL Combine wrapped up Sunday, and as usual, there were plenty of notable results from the testing. Several players already in the league scouting bureau's rankings did well, including #2 Pierre Lavertu (the Laval offensive lineman finished second with 32 bench press reps), #3 David Foucault (the Montreal offensive linemen led all players with 33 bench press reps and also led his position group in the vertical jump while finishing second amongst offensive linemen in the 40-yard dash), #8 Andrew Lue (the Queen's defensive back led all players in the broad jump while placing second in the three-cone drill and tying for fifth in the vertical jump), #13 Adam Thibault (the Laval DB posted the best time in both the 40 and the shuttle run and finished third in the vertical jump) and #15 Dylan Ainsworth (the Western defensive lineman posted the best broad jump at his position, the third-best one overall, and also led his position group with a 4.697-second 40 time). All of those guys should have at least maintained, if not improved, their standing ahead of the May 13 draft. The showings from less-heralded players may be even more notable, though, as some non-ranked prospects who weren't even invited initially may have worked their way up into high draft consideration after what they did this weekend.

One guy who definitely improved his stock is Simon Fraser receiver Tore Corrado. Corrado didn't even receive an invite to the national combine at first, but earned his way in thanks to an impressive showing at the regional combine in Edmonton (where he posted a 4.75-second 40 time, second-best in that field). He then went on to dazzle even more this weekend, improving his 40 time to 4.565 seconds, which was best amongst receivers and fifth-best overall. Speed like that can be vital for pass-catchers, and Corrado definitely has plenty of speed to burn. He also posted a 7.03-second time in the three-cone drill, best of anyone, a 33.5-inch vertical jump, second-best amongst receivers, and a 4.22-second shuttle run time, second-best amongst receivers and fifth-best overall. Corrado is still anything but a lock to be drafted, as he's only listed at 6'0'' and 174 pounds (tiny even by CFL standards), and he only caught 21 passes for 231 yards in NCAA Division II play last year, so there are still questions about how effective he'd be in the pros. His impressive combine showing certainly has him at least being talked about, though.

Another regional invitee who did well was York defensive end James Tuck. Tuck led all defensive linemen in the 40, vertical jump, broad jump and shuttle run at the Toronto regional combine, earning an invite to the main event, and he looked solid against the more-heralded cast at the national combine, placing second amongst defensive linemen in the broad jump and tying for second in the vertical jump. He has solid explosiveness and could be an intriguing option as a pass rusher. We'll see where he goes in the draft compared to more-heralded DL prospects like #15 Ainsworth, #6 Evan Gill and #14 Derek Wiggan, but Tuck showed he wasn't out of place competing with them.

Laval running back Guillaume G. Bourassa also seemed to belong on the national stage. Bourassa worked his way in through the Montreal regional combine and went on to post a 10'1'' broad jump at the national level, best amongst running backs and fourth-best overall. The broad jump is a key measure of explosiveness, which can be vital for RBs. Bourassa has speed, too; his 40 time of 4.706 seconds was second-best in his position group. He only recorded 402 yards last season in a crowded Rouge et Or backfield, but averaged 6.1 yards per carry. He might well be worth a look in the draft.

Are any of these guys going to displace the more-touted prospects? Not necessarily. This year didn't have a player like Kris Robertson, the 2013 regional combine invitee who blew the ranked field away in the national combine and was drafted 11th overall as a result. Many of the best overall showings at this national combine belonged to prospects who were already firmly on the national radar. However, players like Corrado, Tuck and Bourassa still did very well for themselves, and they showed they belonged at the national combine, further validating the league's regional combine strategy. They also showed the importance of the combines, which can help lesser-known players get on teams' radar. They're proof of the impressive depth of Canadian talent out there, and they may yet see their names called in the CFL draft in May.