2017 NFL Draft: 3 Canadians on the radar

With the 2017 NFL Draft set to begin on Thursday, April 27th and run straight through until Saturday, CFC will give some insight as to which Canadian prospects have the best chance of hearing their named called over the course of the weekend.

Justin Senior – 6’5/331lbs – OL – Mississippi State (Montreal, QC)

This Montreal native is currently number one on the CFL scouting bureau rankings, but he won’t be settling for that. Senior has long arms an strong hands, his size alone could see him going in rounds six or seven. However, with only a few years of experience at right tackle, he showed that he struggled at the Senior Bowl. He’s got his work cut out for him if he’s going to hear his name called this week.

Combine results: 5.55 (40), 23.0 (vert), 8.02 (broad), 8.19 (3-cone), 5.06 (shuttle)

Antony Auclair – 6’5/256lbs – TE – Laval (Notre-Dame-des-Pins, QC)

Another Rouge et Or product will be getting his crack at the NFL draft. While being projected to potentially go in rounds five or six, he passes the ‘eyeball’ test with his size, length, and athleticism. He has all the tools and some edge to be a solid backup and traits to become a starter in the future. Currently, he sits at number two in the CFL scouting bureau rankings.

Pro Day results: 4.90 (40-time), 33.5 (vert), 9.09 (broad), 7.30 (3-cone), 4.37 (shuttle)

Eli Ankou – 6’3/331lbs – DL – UCLA (Ottawa, ON)

This Ottawa native has his sights set on the NFL. Projected to potentially go mid-round in the NFL draft, this impressive defensive lineman from UCLA also climbed up the ranks in the CFL scouting bureau rankings to third spot. During his career at UCLA, he registered 87 tackles, including 4 of them for a loss. He appeared in ten games an made eight starts along the defensive line in 2016.

Combine results: 5.16 (40-time), 31.0 (vert), 9.7 (broad)