What Will Edmonton Do With Its 2024 CFL Draft First Pick?

With around two months to go before the CFL regular season kicks off on 6 June, franchises are busy readying their rosters ahead of the 2024 CFL Draft at the end of April. The CFL Combine is now a thing of the past, and teams have a better idea of where their draft focus lies and what they’ll need to do come draft day. 

After finishing the 2023 campaign on a four-game losing streak to end bottom of the CFL West Division with a .222 PCT, the top selection on 30 April falls to Chris Jones, General Manager and Head Coach of the Edmonton Elks. 

Jones has been working hard on improving The Elks’ roster for the upcoming campaign through the offseason trade window and was a notable observer on Combine Saturday at the Winnipeg Soccer North Federation as the draft prospects went through their paces. After that, he and his team spent hours exchanging notes in the GM’s Winnipeg hotel room before facing the media in the evening. 

Without pointing out any prospects who had directly drawn his attention during the training session, Jones revealed that his head had turned in different directions from what he’d anticipated previously. 

“There’s about four to five guys that I did not really have highlighted that, now, you could take somewhere. You watch them on film and you don’t see them in person, then when you get to see them in person … like I said, I didn’t have them highlighted and now I do.” 

In the CFL, where sports betting is now a second nature, the Edmonton GM’s comment doesn’t assist punters looking to take advantage of the individual markets on offer for the upcoming draft. Gauging the offseason business that Edmonton has done so far does reveal a list of favourites among the draftees, with Oakville, Ontario native Nick Mardner an obvious early frontrunner.  

While the 6′ 6″ wide receiver is available for both the NFL and CFL drafts, it’s unlikely a franchise south of the border will pick Mardner up this season. With his 2023 campaign at Auburn University curtailed by injury, meaning he only dressed four times, this has nothing to do with his obvious football talent. As close to the tallest receiver available in the drafts, Mardner is also extremely fast for his size. 

At the recent Auburn pro day, the previous Hawaii Rainbow Warrior and Cincinnati Bearcats collegiate player ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds while also completing a 4.28-second short shuttle and a 7.16-second three-cone drill. Mardner recorded eleven 225-pound reps on the bench press as well. 

Whether Mardner was one of those new players highlighted by Chris Jones is debatable – the Canadian receiver was likely already on The Elks’ list well before the CFL Combine – but he fits a positional need at Edmonton. He also is a “Jones-type” player, with the athleticism and height the GM admires. 

While Nick Mardner is a first-pick favourite for the upcoming CFL Draft, there is no guarantee he’ll end up in Edmonton. Jones and his team will take time weighing up their draft options, with the possibility of another CFL franchise approaching The Elks Head Coach with a trade offer. 

“Nobody’s really called or anything,” Chris Jones said in Winnipeg, “but you’ve always got to be willing to listen.”