CFL.ca’s Top of the Depth Chart series offers an early, speculative look at how each team’s roster could shape up, highlighting potential starters and key position battles ahead of training camp.
Top of the Depth Chart articles are the first time we really dig into what is coming.
The 2026 CFL season is closer than it feels, especially if you’re located in one of several sections of the country currently fluctuating between never-ending winter, fake spring, or surprise summer on a daily basis.
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OFFENCE
* denotes National
** denotes Global
QUARTERBACK
When Dru Brown is at his best, the football in Ottawa feels ALIVE! He brings an attention to detail, accuracy and calm to the huddle that permeates across the roster, and new head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie is sure to bring the best out of Brown’s special skillset.
The concern in Ottawa could be Brown’s health and longevity. They appear to have solidified the position when he’s on the field. My bigger concern is whether the parts around Brown can honour his potential and match the energy, or if he will have to throw his way back into games endlessly again this year.
RUNNING BACK
I really thought Greg Bell would stay put in Hamilton, but Ottawa swooped in and filled a void that was quietly lingering with an upgrade.
William Stanback and Daniel Adeboboye by committee worked, but it didn’t feel like a pairing that could change games on a regular basis. Bell can. He’s proven that over his CFL career, and it could free Adeboboye up to add more dynamic carries while focusing on special teams.
RECEIVER
What a collection of talent, but where will it take them?
Bralon Addison has retired, but the pass-catcher you can rely on to catch at least 100 passes is Justin Hardy. Eugene Lewis should return to normal service in Dinwiddie’s offence (think Damonte Coxie with the Argonauts, but better), and Ayden Eberhardt’s surprisingly high yards-per-catch average joins the fray via free agency from BC.
Keelan White looks to be the real deal, and we know Nick Mardner is a talented top-end guy when healthy. Mix in big-bodied Marco Dubois in heavy packages and a sprinkle of Kalil Pimpleton for a change of pace, and Ottawa has a dynamic and varied group.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
Shuffle the deck at tackle as you wish, perhaps including Zack Pelehos depending on injuries and ratio, but the interior line for Ottawa is solid and established, with another top-end prospect potentially coming in via the draft in days.
DEFENCE
* denotes National
** denotes Global
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN
One of the key shakeups of the late spring CFL news cycle is the REDBLACKS acquiring the playing rights to Luiji Vilain, which, should he sign with the team, would push Cleyon Laing to the edge of roster applicability. The good news, aside from an NFL splash signing, is Bryce Carter still has plenty left in the tank. Michael Wakefield has shown the ability to produce as a veteran, and Habakkuk Baldonado’s signing from Saskatchewan suggests an increased opportunity for his playmaking potential, which was on display during the Roughriders’ Grey Cup run.
LINEBACKER
Plenty of depth and talent could rotate into the sixth defensive back position, but trading for Nyles Morgan and signing away A.J. Allen from Saskatchewan have completely revamped a group previously defined by Adarius Pickett and Jovan Santos-Knox.
DEFENSIVE BACK
Multiple combinations are possible in the secondary, especially with the addition of veteran Demerio Houston. That isn’t an excuse to avoid taking a shot at the answer, but rather a compliment to the setup Ottawa has created in their defensive back end, one that should endure the challenges of a full season better than in years past.
SPECIAL TEAMS
* denotes National
** denotes Global
It’s a whole new world for the first time in a long time, with Richie Leone and Lewis Ward, staples of the Ottawa sideline for years, no longer present.
Brett Lauther looks to rebound from a challenging 2025 out west, while the punting role appears ready to be decided between an American and a Global. Meanwhile, Khalil Pimpleton is ready to dazzle and amaze in the return game once again in 2026.
