TORONTO — The 2026 CFL Canadian Draft wrapped up on Tuesday night, as the CFL’s next stars found their new homes.
From offensive linemen dominating the first round to a strong linebacker group leading the charge on the defensive side of the ball, there were many storylines that wove their way through the evening as the book closed on this year’s draft.
Here are five things you may have missed from the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft.
BIG GUY’S FIRST OVERALL
Canadian offensive linemen are always a hot commodity in the CFL Canadian Draft, and that was no exception in 2026.
Purdue’s Giordano Vaccaro was on Ottawa’s draft board, and the REDBLACKS scooped him up with the first overall pick. Vaccaro was ranked No. 11 on the spring edition of the CFL Scouting Bureau ahead of the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft.
“We’re excited to welcome Giordano to the REDBLACKS organization,” said head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie. “He has impressed us at every step of this process, from what he’s put on tape to getting to know him as a person and talking with his coaches at Purdue and the University of Manitoba.
“We can’t wait to get him in the building and on the field next week and we’re excited to welcome Giordano and his family to the nation’s capital.”
TIGHT ENDS GO EARLY
It’s never a bad idea to add big bodies to your offence. The 2026 CFL Canadian Draft proved that when two tight ends and one fullback were selected in the first 13 picks.
The Montreal Alouettes started the run by selecting Arkansas tight end Rohan Jones eighth overall.
Two picks later, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers selected six-foot-five tight end Dante Daniels. Finally, fullback Émeric Boutin from Laval went 13th overall to the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
HENNING RISES TO THE TOP
The CFL Combine presented by Anytime Fitness Canada is an opportunity for prospects to show CFL personnel that they are ready for the pros ahead of draft day. That’s exactly what Niklas Henning did, leaving Edmonton with a buzz around his name.
After his outstanding combine performance, Henning went from unranked on the winter edition of the CFL Scouting Bureau to 14th, and impressed the Toronto Argonauts enough to earn a second-overall selection. Henning became the highest prospect to be selected out of Queen’s since Shomari Williams was drafted 1st overall by Saskatchewan in 2010.
Another prospect who made his mark during the combine circuit was running back Liam Talbot. Talbot earned his ticket to the CFL Combine in Edmonton after an impressive showing at the Invitational Combine in Waterloo, Ont. He also showed off his skills in Edmonton and turned heads, earning a fourth-round selection by the Montreal Alouettes (37th overall).
YOU GET A LINEBACKER, AND YOU GET A LINEBACKER
The 2026 class featured a plethora of talent at the linebacker position.
Not only did two get selected in the first round in Rutgers’ Dariel Djabome (third overall, Edmonton) and Angelo State’s Eric Rascoe (sixth overall, Calgary), but in total 12 linebackers found a new football home in the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft.
That includes South Alabama’s Darius McKenzie (23rd, Toronto), Montreal’s Charles-Elliot Bouliane (24th, Winnipeg), Queen’s Justin Pace (35th, Edmonton), Calgary’s Osasere Odemwingie (38th, Saskatchewan), Calgary’s Benjamin Dobson (41th, Ottawa), York’s Brody Clark (42nd, Winnipeg), Concordia’s Loïk Gagné (43rd, Hamilton), Ottawa’s Marc Djonay Rondeau (52nd, Hamilton), UBC’s Chase Henning (63rd, BC), and Wilfrid Laurier’s Josh Connors (66th, Ottawa).
The only positions that outpaced linebackers were offensive lineman (16) and receiver (15).
