CFL draft grades for the West Division

While it doesn't always get a ton of popular attention, the annual CFL draft is a vital part of how teams build their Canadian content. Thus, Tuesday's draft had a lot of implications for the league's teams, both for this season and for the years to come. Of course, no one knows exactly how these picks are going to work out, and moves that looked like reaches now may appear brilliant down the road, while seemingly-can't-miss prospects may not pan out. Still, we can make some guesses about these picks based on the information we do have, particularly players' college careers and combine statistics. With that in mind, here's a look at how the West Division teams did, going from west to east. Go here for a look at the East Division teams.

B.C. Lions: C: From this corner, the back half of the Lions' draft looks better than the front half. They might have gotten the top talent in the draft in Rice DT Christian Covington, the CFL's top-ranked prospect, and they only had to spend a fifth-rounder on him (43rd overall). Yes, Covington was drafted by the NFL's Houston Texans, but only in the sixth round; lots of late-rounders wind up washing out of the NFL within a year or two, so gambling a fifth-round pick on someone with Covington's talent makes a lot of sense. However, the Lions also took an earlier gamble on another NFL-bound player, taking UNLV offensive lineman Brett Boyko (who signed with Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent) 14th overall in the second round, and that one's more questionable. Yes, Boyko could turn into a tremendous player if he comes north, but 14th seems early to grab someone who already has an NFL deal, especially considering that great CFL-bound talents like Lemar Durant and Byron Archambault were still on the board.

B.C.'s really questionable move was their first-round selection (fifth overall) of Laurier defensive lineman Ese Mrabure-Ajufo; yes, he was the third-ranked defensive lineman (behind Covington and Western's Daryl Waud), but most analysts had him way further down on their draft boards. He could absolutely be a capable player, but using a fifth-overall pick on him feels like a reach, especially with so much indisputable top talent out there. The Lions' late picks look pretty smart, though, including UNLV RB Shaquille Murray-Lawrence (third round, 23rd overall) and Idaho DE Maxx Forde (seventh round, 58th overall).

Calgary Stampeders: A-: The Stampeders started in a difficult position, drafting at the end of each round thanks to winning the Grey Cup last year, but they generally made the most of their picks. In particular, their acquisition of SFU receiver Lemar Durant 18th overall might have been the steal of the draft. They gambled on other high-talent players in appropriate spots, such as using a 19th-overall pick on Yale RB Tyler Varga (who's already in the NFL, but could be a great fit for the Stamps if he does come north at some point). They also picked up speedster DB Tevaughn Campbell 22nd overall, physical Sherbrooke FB William Langlais 27th overall and impressive CJFL DB Dexter Janke 44th overall.

The biggest question with Calgary's draft is about their first pick, where they took Laval offensive lineman Karl Lavoie ninth overall. Lavoie was good in college, but wasn't thought by most to be as capable as the "Group of Five" linemen there was a run on before the Stamps' pick. Will he find a way to shine in the pros, or will that pick prove to be a case of targeting the wrong position at the wrong time?

Edmonton Eskimos: A-: The Eskimos may have gotten one of the top players in this draft, Laval offensive lineman Danny Groulx, and they got him seventh overall. That's impressive, and it was smart of Edmonton GM Ed Hervey to take the best player available in that slot. The Eskimos further reinforced their offensive line in the second round, taking David Beard out of the University of Alberta, and it may help to have a guy who played locally, as they probably got to watch him a lot. Their third-round pick, Calgary LB Adam Konar, could be a solid CFL player if he can stay healthy: he has great instincts for the game. The main complaint with Edmonton's draft is that they only had two picks from the fourth round on thanks to trades: that may hurt their depth. Still, their top three picks are impressive.

Saskatchewan Roughriders: A-: The Riders found some great value late in this draft, nabbing the likes of Laval DL Brandon Tennant (seventh round), Saint Mary's RB Melvin Abankwah (sixth round) and Mount Allison DB Kwame Adjei (fifth round). All could be nice pickups. Their top pick of Manitoba receiver Nic Demski was a little surprising, but it could turn out to be a good one. Their third- and fourth-round picks of Western DL Rory Konnop and Michigan State FB Matt Rea seem potentially good, too.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers: B+: The Bombers made what looks like a solid decision with the second-overall pick, taking Calgary guard Sukh Chung, a mauler who Duane Forde said he would have chosen first overall. They also found good value late, adding the likes of Laval RB Christophe Normand (fourth round) and Ottawa DE Ettore Lattanzio (fifth round). Their decision to go with Regina receiver Addison Richards 11th overall while more-highly-touted SFU receiver Lemar Durant was still on the board was a bit iffy, though.