The next crucial date on the CFL off-season calendar is almost upon us.
The CFL Combine presented by Anytime Fitness Canada goes March 27 to 29 as the top CFL Draft eligible prospects will gather in Edmonton for three days of testing and on-field evaluation. It’s one of the last signposts before the 2026 CFL Draft, which lands on April 28.
Every year, a few players turn their Combine experiences into a head-turning weekend for scouts and team personnel.
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TYSON PHILPOT | RECEIVER | 2022
Tyson Philpot participated in the 2022 CFL Combine in Toronto (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
The draft class of 2022 will go down as one of the most star-studded in recent memory. It includes the likes of Tre and Tyrell Ford, Samuel Emilus, Adrian Greene, and one other pair of brothers: Jalen and Tyson Philpot. And with Tyson on the cusp of a true star-making season, it feels appropriate to highlight his 2022 Combine performance.
Philpot finished sixth in his class with a 4.59 time in the 40-yard dash, while impressing with his on-field work. After starting his draft year ranked 15th in the CFL Scouting Bureau’s fall rankings, Philpot’s Combine helped cement his spot as a top pick. He’d end up being selected in the first round, ninth overall, by the Montreal Alouettes.
BEN HLADIK | LINEBACKER | 2021
Ben Hladik participated in the virtual 2021 CFL Combine and is heading into his sixth season with the BC Lions (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)
Now one of the league’s best linebackers with the BC Lions, Ben Hladik came to the 2021 Combine with a point to prove. Unable to play his final year at the University of British Columbia due to the pandemic, Hladik finished second in his class by pounding out 29 virtual reps on the bench press. In fact, Hladik impressed across the board and finished strong in the broad jump, 3-cone, and shuttle.
Having opened his draft year as a ranked player by the CFL Scouting Bureau, Hladik fell out of the top 20 and needed a strong Combine as a result. The result was a third-round selection, 22nd overall, by the BC Lions who he remains with entering his sixth season.
TRE FORD | QUARTERBACK | 2022
Tre Ford’s rise leading into the 2022 CFL Draft was memorable and his performance at the Combine that year was a big contributing factor. Despite being the only quarterback in his class, Ford was impressive compared to his peers. The University of Waterloo standout posted the best in class 3-cone time at 6.85 while also finishing near the top of the group in the shuttle.
Ford impressed in on-field practice work, too, which helped him jump two spots to finish fourth overall in the Scouting Bureau’s final rankings. Edmonton subsequently took Ford eighth overall, making him the first quarterback selected in the first round in more than four decades.
KAION JULIEN-GRANT | RECEIVER | 2019
Kaion Julien-Grant impressed at the CFL Combine in Toronto in 2019 and is now heading into his seventh CFL season (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Known for his blazing speed as a college standout at St. Francis Xaiver, it should come as no surprise Kaion Julien-Grant impressed in the 40-yard dash at the 2019 Combine in Toronto. Julien-Grant finished second in his class with a 40 time of 4.49 seconds while also scoring high in the vertical and broad jump.
It turned out to be an important few days. Julien-Grant jumped from 13th to ninth overall in the CFL Scouting Bureau’s final rankings and would end up being drafted by the Montreal Alouettes in the second round a few weeks later.
DAKODA SHEPLEY | OFFENSIVE LINE | 2018
Dakoda Shepley hasn’t played in the CFL since 2019 and is making his return in 2026, joining the Toronto Argonauts (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Now that he’s returning to the CFL in 2026 with Toronto after six years south of the border, it feels like a good time to look back on Dakoda Shepley’s monster performance at the 2018 Combine. Following his fourth year at the University of British Columbia, Shepley topped his class with 27 bench press reps while finishing near the top of the other measurable categories at his position.
Combined with his strong on-field work, Shepley vaulted up the rankings from 11th to third in the Scouting Bureau’s final rankings. His Combine weekend turned heads in Saskatchewan, too, as the Roughriders made Shepley the fifth overall selection at the 2018 CFL Draft.
