In two weeks the 2026 CFL Draft will take place and a new crop of Canadian players will find out where their new homes are.
The teams will be finalizing draft boards over the next couple of weeks. They will be running their own mock drafts based on speculation about what other teams will do to figure out a strategy for who might be available when it’s their turn to pick.
They’ll also be thinking about who might be the next diamond in the rough, with some later round magic or they’ll capitalize on a player they really like that other teams missed the boat on.
Here’s a list of those types of gems that teams got away with through various rounds.
I’ll start with our gang of fourth rounders from 2020.
What a strange draft that was for teams trying to figure out who fit where with no CFL Combine presented by Anytime Fitness Canada and everything more or less virtual.
But it did allow for some of the finest draft day steals we’ve seen in most recent history and the Saskatchewan Roughriders have two of them.
KIAN SCHAFFER-BAKER | 4th ROUND, 30th OVERALL | 2020
Third down, no problem!
Trevor Harris finds Kian Schaffer-Baker for the major and the fans (including the Grinch) are loving it at Mosaic!
🗓️: Western Final LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN, RDS
🌎: CFL+#GCPlayoffs | @sskroughriders pic.twitter.com/3DLM0V2sW0— CFL (@CFL) November 9, 2025
The long and athletic receiver has shown that his natural ability was able to make the jump to the professional level.
Kian Schaffer-Baker – when healthy – is one of the most effective possession receivers in the game as he can take a hit and keep going, as evidenced early in his career when lining up at times in the backfield and being able to take and shake off hits from linebackers.
The one thing that is eluding Schaffer-Baker is a 1,000-yard season. He was close a few years ago, but as mentioned, finishing a full season has also been hard to find throughout his career.
A.J. ALLEN | 4th ROUND, 35th OVERALL | 2020
A.J. Allen climbs the ladder for an early interception! 🪜#CFLGameDay
📅: Stamps vs. Riders live now!
🇨🇦: TSN & RDS
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/6sKPcmYZAu— CFL (@CFL) July 12, 2025
A.J. Allen’s rise to becoming one of the highest paid defensive players in the league was slow in Saskatchewan.
Starting off as a special team player with limited opportunity, it grew in his second professional season to 19 special teams tackles, then led the team with 22 in year three, with growing opportunities on defence.
And then came 2025, the breakout season for Allen as injuries allowed him the starting role and he didn’t miss. With 87 tackles, four sacks and three interceptions, Allen showed the rest of the league that he is a big game player and it’s why he’s leaving Saskatchewan.
The Roughriders couldn’t afford him, so the Riders’ diamond in the rough is now Ottawa’s prized possession!
STAVROS KATSANTONIS | 4th ROUND, 36th OVERALL | 2020
CLEAN PICK!
Stavros Katsantonis picks it off again and goes for a run!#CFLGameday
📅: @Ticats vs. Argos LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN, CTV
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/1e3oKWrAqy— CFL (@CFL) October 4, 2025
Like the previous two players, Stavros Katsantonis‘ game tape didn’t pop for some general managers around the league.
But the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are certainly fine with finding their captain in the fourth round of the 2020 CFL Draft.
Katsantonis is not only an amazing contributor to the Tiger-Cats defence, but he’s also a tremendous ambassador for the team and the league in the community.
He’s another player who had to find a way on to the field more regularly early in his career, but has now established himself as a top defensive starter in the CFL.
Now that we’re done with the 2020, fourth-round yield, let’s move on to another Hamilton Tiger-Cat found in a draft a few years later.
KIONDRÉ SMITH | 4th ROUND, 37th OVERALL | 2022
Kiondré Smith makes the grab!#CFLGameday
📅: REDBLACKS vs @Ticats LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN, RDS
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/6hGnHN49Xg— CFL (@CFL) October 25, 2025
Kiondre Smith was selected in the fourth round (37th overall) in the 2022 CFL Draft.
Smith has now hit the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career after coming close in 2024.
Smith was the seventh receiver taken in the 2022 draft, and while the first round yielded Tyson and Jalen Philpot as well as Samuel Emilus, the Tiger-Cats did well to bring in Smith later in the draft. He’s put up just as impressive numbers as those in the first round.
Smith will now be an even bigger piece to the Tiger-Cats receiving puzzle with Tim White moving on to Winnipeg.
Now I’m going to move on to two different types of draft day gems.
The players that should have been first round picks.
There are two that stand out to me over the last couple of seasons when I ask how did other teams miss on these guys?
REDHA KRAMDI | 2nd ROUND, 16th OVERALL | 2021
INTERCEPTED!
Redha Kramdi goes UP and takes it away! #CFLGameDay
🗓️: Roughriders vs @Wpg_BlueBombers LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/9e5ETdp41A— CFL (@CFL) September 6, 2025
The first is Redha Kramdi of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
He was taken in the second round, 16th overall, and if you’re redrafting the 2021 CFL Draft today, Kramdi would be in the top three… EASILY!
That’s a draft day gem right there!
And the bonus is that of the 25 players named in the CFL Scouting Bureau’s top 20 through that year, Kramdi was never one of them. So kudos to Kyle Walters team on that one, they knocked it out of the park!
TYRELL FORD | 2nd ROUND, 13th OVERALL | 2022
THAT’S MINE!
Tyrell Ford has his first interception as a member of @GoElks and its for SIX!
📅: Elks vs. Alouettes LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN & RDS
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/UXWWsj4CvA— CFL (@CFL) August 9, 2025
The second is Tyrell Ford.
Sometimes you should just take the athletic freak! The Bombers got to find a gem who fell into their lap at 13th overall in the second round back in 2022.
His brother was picked in the first round, and if you’re doing it all over again, that is definitely flipped, for sure.
Tyrell has been the best defender of that draft and like Kramdi, if you’re redrafting the 2022 draft, Tyrell Ford is also nearing the top three and is definitely not taken in the second round.
So all gems can be found in different situations no matter how high or low you find them on draft day.
However, let’s finish off with the CFL’s Mr. Irrelevant. The last person picked in the draft doesn’t have much of a shot, so if you find a guy who starts in a Grey Cup in a winning effort with the last pick, they have to be mentioned.
Ladies and gentlemen, Toronto Argonauts Grey Cup Champion offensive lineman Anthony Vandal had the honour of being the 2023 Mr. Irrelevant in the CFL.
And to be even more fitting, his quarterback for that season albeit not the Grey Cup, Chad Kelly, happened to be the NFL’s Mr. Irrelevant a few years previous.
