Six notable late-round 2014 CFL draft picks

The 2014 CFL draft was a crazy one, with limited depth thanks to rule changes leading to a trading frenzy, especially early on. You can check out our two-part first-round breakdown here and here, but it's also worth investigating what happened later in the draft. Here's a look at six of the most notable picks after the first round, one from each round, complete with grades. (Where the teams initially got the picks from isn't considered here, unlike in the first round evaluations.)

Round 2, Pick 1: Montreal takes Queen's Golden Gaels DB Andrew Lue
Grade: A-

This could be a really nice pick. Lue looked like one of the best defensive back prospects in this combine, and while some had Antoine Pruneau (who went fourth to Ottawa) ahead of him, TSN's Duane Forde noted last week that Pruneau seems like a better fit at safety, while Lue has the body to perhaps play corner. He impressed in the CIS ranks, earning a first-team All-Canadian nod this past year, and also shone at the combine. He could be a ratio-busting talent.

Round 3, Pick 1 (19th overall): Calgary takes McGill Redmen OT Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.
Grade: B+

Duvernay-Tardif might have been the best player in this draft class, but he fell this far given that he was taken in the sixth round of last week's NFL draft by Kansas City. This is a big gamble for Calgary, as there's a good chance that Duvernay-Tardif never plays a CFL down; in addition to his NFL prospects, he's also doing well in med school, so even if he washes out of the NFL, he may decide that being a doctor is more promising than being a CFL player. However, it's not a bad gamble to take in the third round, especially in a shallower draft, and if it does pay off, this might be one of this draft's greatest picks.

Round 4, Pick 4 (31st overall): Montreal takes York Lions DL James Tuck.
Grade: B+

Tuck wasn't as highly-touted of a prospect as some other linemen early on, and he wasn't even invited to the national combine initially, but worked his way in with a strong showing at the Toronto regional combine, beating all DL prospects in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump and shuttle run. He also impressed at the full combine, placing second in the broad jump and tying for second in the vertical jump. He isn't massive (6'0'', 230 pounds), but he's very athletic and explosive. Maybe he'll turn out to be more of a workout warrior than an in-game star, but he's certainly an interesting guy to take a flyer on.

Round 5, Pick 5 (41st overall): B.C. takes Bishop's Gaiters receiver Alexander Fox.
Grade: A

This could be one of the steals of the draft. Fox led all CIS players with 1,009 receiving yards last season, and he did so on just 47 catches, averaging 21.5 yards per catch. He also had 12 touchdowns. Yes, he's small (5'8'', 175 pounds), but he's quick (he clocked a 4.635 second 40-yard dash at the combine). It certainly helped his production to have Hec Crighton winner Jordan Heather (now playing in France) throwing him the ball, but Fox also had a lot to do with Heather's remarkable passing stats last season. B.C. GM Wally Buono said Wednesday Fox's lack of size is somewhat of a handicap, but the Lions are very interested to see what he can do in camp.

"Here's a guy who's been a very productive player," Buono said. "He can do a lot of things for you. He'll come to camp and compete. ... Size is an issue, because professional football is a big man's sport, but there are lots of undersized guys, both in this league and in the NFL, who have found success."

If Fox can follow in the footsteps of smaller-but-successful players, the Lions may have grabbed a great receiver very late in this draft. The downside's also pretty minimal, as they only used a fifth-round pick to get him, and this wasn't a terribly deep draft.

Round 6, Pick 6: (51st overall): Toronto takes SFU Clan receiver/returner Tore Corrado.
Grade: B+

Corrado is another undersized (6'0'', 174-pound) receiver, but unlike Fox, he didn't have as impressive a history of production at the college level. However, he has even more speed; he worked his way into the national combine by posting an event-best 4.75 second 40-time at the Edmonton regional combine, then improved that to 4.565 seconds in Toronto, best amongst receivers. He also dazzled in many of the other combine tests. Picking Corrado carries risk, but he's an intriguing guy to take a chance on, especially this late. He could turn into a very nice offensive weapon with that kind of speed regardless of his size. (And hey, the Argos have found a huge amount of success over the years with another small-but-quick Canadian, 5'9'', 190-pound slotback Andre Durie, so they probably have some ideas on how to use Corrado effectively.)

Round 7, Pick 9 (63rd overall): Saskatchewan takes St. Francis Xavier offensive lineman Terry Hart.
Grade: A-

This is a remarkable pick this late, especially considering that this draft wasn't supposed to be deep along the line. The 6'3'', 300-pound Hart impressed at tackle for St. FX, and while he'll likely shift to guard at the CIS level, he could turn into a very good guard. He performed well at the combine, especially with his strength, tying for second with 32 bench-press reps. His 7'2'' broad jump wasn't as good, and may have hurt his stock a bit (as teams like high broad jump results for offensive linemen, figuring they show explosiveness), but he's a capable, tough player, and a very strong one. Kent Ridley's guide ranked him 8th amongst OL prospects, ahead of Aaron Wheaton (taken 28th overall) and Kyle Paterson (45th). Getting a capable offensive line prospect with one of the draft's final picks is a nice find for the Riders.