 | Today we're looking at the NFL draft and which Canadians might be selected over the next few days, including a quarterback looking to make an historic leap from U Sports. Plus, the Jets and Leafs look to put a stranglehold on their respective NHL playoff series, and a new curling league is coming. | | | Will a Canadian university quarterback get picked in the NFL draft?
| | | The first round of the NFL draft takes place tonight in Green Bay. Not to spoil the show, which seems to get bigger and bigger every year, but it's pretty clear who the top picks will be.
Basically every mock draft you read starts with the exact same four selections. The Tennessee Titans choose University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward first overall, then the Cleveland Browns use the second pick on Heisman Trophy-winning two-way star Travis Hunter of Colorado, the New York Giants grab ferocious Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter at No. 3, and the New England Patriots take LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell fourth to protect young quarterback Drake Maye, who was last year's third-overall pick.
After that, it gets more interesting. For example, some draft experts have tackle-busting Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty going as high as fifth to Jacksonville, while others see him falling to Las Vegas at No. 6 or even Chicago with the 10th pick.
The one guy everyone seems genuinely stumped about is Shedeur Sanders. Much like his Hall of Fame dad Deion, who coached him at Colorado, Sanders has become somewhat of a polarizing figure. Some think he'll make a solid NFL quarterback and should be drafted fairly early in the first round, while others believe his shortage of arm strength and athleticism (ironic, considering his genes) and perhaps overabundance of confidence (he is very much Deion's son) make him unworthy of a high pick. The trendy prediction at the moment is that the QB-desperate Pittsburgh Steelers will roll the dice on Sanders at No. 21.
Another matter of interest, at least on this side of the border, is how many Canadians will be chosen. A record five got picked in 2023 — including Cincinnati running back Chase Brown, who broke through last season with 1,350 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns, and his twin brother Sydney Brown, who just won the Super Bowl as a backup safety with Philadelphia.
Four Canadians were drafted last year — led by offensive lineman Isaiah Adams, who went in the third round to Arizona and played 15 games, including five starts. Fourth-round tight end Theo Johnson made 29 catches for 339 yards and a touchdown for the Giants, while fifth-round defensive back Qwan'Tez Stiggers appeared in 14 games, mostly on special teams, for the Jets.
It appears the downward trend in the number of Canadians picked may continue this year. My CBC Sports colleague Dion Caputi, a real draft nut who follows prospects year-round, sees maybe three getting taken before the seven-round draft wraps up on Saturday. But it's an interesting group, featuring a receiver who roasted Travis Hunter, a quarterback who led Indiana to a surprising playoff berth, and a QB looking to make an unprecedented leap from Canadian university football to the NFL.
Here are Dion's takes on the three Canadians most likely to get drafted and when they might come off the board.
Elic Ayomanor, wide receiver, Stanford
Barring unimaginable circumstances, Ayomanor will be the first Canadian selected. After a knee injury led to a medical redshirt year that prolonged the start of his Stanford career, the Medicine Hat, Alta., native returned in 2023 to lead all Cardinal players in receptions (62), receiving yards (1,013) and receiving touchdowns (6).
Ayomanor's standout redshirt-freshman season featured a heroic 13-catch, 294-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 46-43 win over the Colorado Buffaloes, with the Canadian getting the best of star cornerback Travis Hunter (the likely No. 2 pick in this year's draft) on multiple occasions. In 2024, he also had 63 catches and another six touchdowns but only 831 yards for a poor Stanford team that won only six games across his two seasons in the lineup.
At nearly 6-foot-2 and 206 pounds, Ayomanor combines a sturdy physical build with downfield explosion and quality route-running skills. He'll remind some of another Canadian-born NFL receiver in new Bills signee Joshua Palmer, only Ayomanor is a superior overall athlete.
Projection: The question is, can he break into the latter portion of Day 2? If not, it shouldn't be long until he's selected on Day 3, likely in the fourth round.
Kurtis Rourke, quarterback, Indiana
The younger brother of B.C. Lions passer Nathan Rourke followed a similar path by quarterbacking Ohio for three seasons. Kurtis led the Bobcats to consecutive 10-win seasons before transferring to Indiana in 2024 to face elevated Big Ten competition. The Oakville, Ont., native was instrumental in leading the Hoosiers to an 11-2 record and the school's first College Football Playoff appearance while playing the entire season on a torn ACL.
Not short on toughness, Rourke also returned after missing just one game due to a broken thumb on his throwing hand. What he lacks in elite arm talent, he compensates for with his excellent ball security, poise under pressure and pocket-passing mechanics. Despite his prototypical size (6-foot-4, 220 pounds), a lack of tools likely limits how early Rourke will be picked.
Projection: His game isn't predicated on mobility, so a torn ACL won't limit his upside. Will the lack of a "plus" NFL arm prevent him from being drafted? Maybe, but he could go in round six or seven.
Taylor Elgersma, quarterback, Wilfred Laurier
Elgersma has already made history along his improbable journey to NFL draft consideration. After winning the Hec Creighton Trophy as the 2024 U Sports player of the year, he became the first Canadian-born quarterback invited to the coveted Senior Bowl — NCAA football's primary pre-draft all-star game.
The nearly 6-foot-5, 216-pound native of London, Ont., didn't disappoint, flashing his effortless downfield arm strength and firmly placing himself on the scouting radar south of the border. As a result, he's now realistically vying to become the first quarterback ever selected in the NFL draft directly out of Canadian university football.
Last year, mammoth University of British Columbia offensive lineman Giovanni Manu stunningly went from a late-round/free-agent projection to a fourth-round pick of the Detroit Lions. While that ceiling is highly unlikely for Elgersma, it shows how the breadth of modern NFL scouting could benefit the captivating Golden Hawks passer.
Projection: All it takes is one team to see something compelling, especially in a quarterback class with minimal back-end appeal. Elgersma could go in round six or seven, but even if he's not picked he should get an opportunity to make a team as an undrafted free agent. | | |  | Laurier quarterback Taylor Elgersma earned a spot in the prestigious Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., after being voted the top player in Canadian university football. (Butch Dill/Associated Press)
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| | | Some other things to know:
1. The Jets and Leafs can close in on the second round tonight.
After winning their first two games at home, Winnipeg and Toronto look to take a 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series as they visit St. Louis and Ottawa, respectively.
The Presidents' Trophy-winning Jets beat the Blues 2-1 on Monday with goals by star forwards Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, while Max Domi's overtime winner gave the Leafs their first 2-0 series lead since his dad played for the team. Game 3 in Ottawa starts at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the Winnipeg-St. Louis matchup at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Also tonight, the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers visit Tampa Bay again after pounding their Sunshine State rivals 6-2 in the series opener, while Minnesota returns home with a 1-1 split after beating Vegas 5-2.
Last night, Montreal and Edmonton each fell into a 2-0 hole in their series with another road loss at Washington and Los Angeles, respectively. Washington goalie Logan Thompson stopped all 14 shots he faced in the third period to give the top-seeded Capitals a 3-1 victory, while L.A. scored three goals in less than five minutes in the third to chase shaky Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner and win 6-2. Connor McDavid, who had four points in Edmonton's 6-5 loss in Game 1, was held off the scoresheet and so was Evander Kane in his first appearance of the season for Edmonton.
Elsewhere, Dallas won its second straight in overtime to go up 2-1 on Colorado. Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog gave his team an emotional lift by playing his first game in three years. But Tyler Seguin, who missed 58 games due to hip surgery before returning for the regular-season finale, scored early in OT for the Stars.
2. Canada's two best NBA players are on the court tonight.
MVP favourite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the top-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder are up 2-0 in their first-round playoff series against Memphis after winning the first two games by a combined 70 points. But SGA's buckets haven't come easy. He's shooting just 33 per cent from the field in the series after making nearly 52 per cent and averaging a league-high 32.7 points in the regular season. Game 3 starts at 9:30 p.m. ET in Memphis.
At 10 p.m. ET, Canadian Jamal Murray's Denver Nuggets visit Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers for Game 3 of their series. It's tied 1-1 after the rejuvenated Leonard scored 39 points on an ultra-efficient 15-for-19 shooting in Game 2. Murray is averaging 22 points in the playoffs while three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is putting up 27.5 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets after averaging a 29.6-point triple double in the regular season to challenge Gilgeous-Alexander for the MVP award.
The other NBA playoff game tonight sees the New York Knicks visit the Detroit Pistons with the series tied 1-1.
3. The owners of the Grand Slam of Curling are launching a new league.
The Curling Group, which bought the five-event Grand Slam series from Sportsnet last year, says its new Rock League will debut in April 2026 and feature six mixed-gender teams competing in a six-week season. There will be two teams each from Canada and Europe and one each from the United States and the Asia-Pacific region.
The teams will be captained by Canada's Rachel Homan and Brad Jacobs, Scotland's Bruce Mouat, Switzerland's Alina Paetz, American Korey Dropkin and Japan's Chinami Yoshida. Each squad will include five men and five women. Here's more on the new league. | | | That's it for today. Talk to you tomorrow.
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