Duane Forde weighs in on one of the CFL’s most unusual drafts; less depth, but still good talent

The 2014 CFL Canadian draft (which takes place Tuesday at 7 p.m. Eastern, with the first round aired live on TSN and subsequent rounds being livestreamed on TSN.ca) will be quite different from those in recent memory, and that's because of a rule change. The league changed its draft eligibility procedures in 2013, making it so that Canadian players at U.S. schools will now be eligible only when they complete their eligibility (meaning that redshirt freshmen will now be drafted after their senior year rather than their junior year) and players at CIS schools will be eligible three years after they use their first year of eligiblity rather than four years after enrolling in school (meaning that redshirt freshmen won't be eligible for the draft after their junior year, unless they apply for it). While those rule changes should be positive over the long term, particularly in helping to eliminate the problem of the CFL drafting NCAA redshirts a year before the NFL (and thus having to guess at the future level of NFL interest in a player), they make for a very unusual transition class this year, one with next-to-no NCAA players. TSN CFL analyst and draft guru Duane Forde spoke to media about this draft on a conference call this week, and he had some fascinating insights on how this draft compares to others and how it's likely to unfold.

Some of Forde's most interesting comments were on how this draft stacks up historically. With so few NCAA players eligible, the temptation would be to think that it would be an incredibly weak draft. Forde doesn't think that's the case, though, suggesting instead that there's less high-end depth, but plenty of guys who can come in and compete for roster spots.

"There still are some good guys in this draft," he said. "There's still depth, but it's not high-end depth. You'll see guys being picked earlier than they might in a normal draft."

Forde said that could lead to a draft where we see less players making an immediate impact than we have previously.

"You might not find as many immediate contributors," he said.

Part of that is that there are far less players to choose from than you'd find in a typical draft year.

"It's fewer guys in total that are even eligible," Forde said. "It's a smaller pool."

Notably, though, he doesn't think that will lead to a decline in quality in late-round draft picks. Instead, Forde thinks the big change is going to come with undrafted free agents, as there probably won't be many capable players who aren't selected this year.

"In terms of the overall depth of the draft, it's not necessarily drafting guys who can't come in and compete, but I would say there's not as much high-end depth," he said. "Because of the slightly smaller draft pool, you're going to see all of those guys get drafted."

One area where the smaller draft pool could have a major impact is along the offensive line. Offensive line is always a key target for CFL GMs trying to fill starting positions with Canadians, and this year (like many) has seen plenty of offensive line prospects ranked amongst the best players overall. However, two of the top ones (McGill's Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Montreal's David Foucault) have attracted plenty of NFL interest (Duvernay-Tardif was drafted in the NFL's sixth round Saturday, while Foucault has already received at least two NFL minicamp invitations), and there may not be as much depth behind them as there often is. Forde said that could put a premium on remaining offensive line prospects, as teams are as interested in Canadian linemen as ever.

"The rules have changed and that has impacted the supply of offensive linemen in this draft, but the demand for Canadian offensive linemen in the CFL hasn't changed," he said.

Forde said it's also interesting that this draft features plenty of good Canadian players, but less than normal at traditionally-Canadian positions such as offensive line and receiver.

"Offensive linemen and receivers are typically where you see the most guys drafted, but that's not necessarily where the guys are in this draft," he said.

A particularly notable player there could be University of Manitoba running back Anthony Coombs. Not every team is looking for a Canadian running back, but Forde said Coombs has proven he's an impressive player.

"Coombs is probably the best skill player in this draft," Forde said.

There are plenty of other intriguing players, too. Forde said defensive back will be an interesting spot to watch; teams like Hamilton are interested in using Canadians in the defensive backfield, but who goes first may depend on whether the team in question is looking for safeties or corners.

"For me, the best DB in the draft is Antoine Pruneau from Montreal, and he's a guy that's suited to free safety, not corner," Forde said. "Andrew Lue played corner at Queen's, he's a big body who could fit in at that spot."

There's also always a discussion around Canadian quarterbacks at the draft. One may or may not be drafted this year, but Forde said if a QB is chosen, it's likely to be Billy McPhee.

"The number-one guy who stands out for me in this class is Billy McPhee from Queen's," Forde said. "He's been in front of scouts since his first year."

There should be plenty of drama once Tuesday's draft rolls around, from how Quinn Smith's positive drug test affects his stock to how far top prospect Duvernay-Tardif falls after being drafted by the NFL. As Forde pointed out, it's a highly unusual draft, and a shallower one than normal, but it's still going to provide some great Canadian talent for the CFL. We'll see who winds up where.